When the moon loves
by MTKtheDreamer
Summary: SEQUEL TO WTMIS Still tortured by nightmares, Mary doesn't only feel like making atone for her past and finding a place to belong to: Laito has been in coma since three months and she doesn't know what to do anymore; the brothers are uncaring as always while Yui does her best to cheer her up and help. And other troubles will happen when four vampires re-show themselves at school...
1. Chapter 0

_Chapter 0_

Mary hurried down the hall, paying attention to the bowl of water that she was holding in her hands and to the cloth on the shoulder; her hair fluttered in the air, pulled back in a messy ponytail, as if she had tied them up in a hurry without caring too much, nonetheless the hairdo was still pretty, paradoxically.

Her expression was so deep in thought that if a helicopter had been about to crash on her, she wouldn't have realized it in the slightest and wouldn't have moved.

She entered the room, closing the door, and walked to the bed with the green-shaded sheets and curtains; with slow and distracted movements she put the container on the table that had been placed next to it, as she stared at the pale face of the vampire lying on the mattress.

She sat on the edge, watching those eyes half shut and glassy, fixed on the ceiling, and his face emotionless, white as death, _as cold as the Universe with no stars_.

The girl leaned over him, stroking his cheek, sad, and moved a few strands of hair from his forehead, spread out after the convulsions occurred during that day, during which Mary and Yui, every hour, exchanged places to check on him, verifying that everything was "standard": this meant absence of consciousness and sudden unconscious movements, sweating and short incomprehensible babbling.

She soaked the cloth in the water and squeezed it, then used it to wipe Laito's face with loving care.

\- _Laito_ – she murmured, with a weak and pleading voice - _please_ , get better...

* * *

Subaru was sitting on the inside windowsill, at the north side of the villa; he was staring up at the cloudy sky and at the dim light that leaked from a few clear areas, from which he could see the stars flickering, almost uncertain of what they were going to see on Earth from up there.

He was frowning and tightening his right hand into a fist, whitening his knuckles more than his pale complexion was; he turned his gaze toward the open door that led into that room and saw Mary passing, towards her bedroom, with the same silent and lost aspect he had to endured for the whole summer, making that season feel longer than ever: it had been an unbearable period, more than all his brothers put together.

At the beginning, after Mary had run in Laito's bedroom to see him, after being taken inside by his brothers, the girl had been worried with moderation and she had taken care of him calmly, even asking for help to Mr Ari, who however hadn't replied yet, probably because of other matters he was involved in; therefore, summer break came and the girl's composed mood had deteriorated, changing with each passing week and alternating sporadic panic attacks with long moments of distraction and anxiety.

On the other hand the brothers took no responsibility for it: the other triplets, though they should have been the most "close" ones, had visited him only once, when Yui, another unique kind caring soul, had kept her company, and had taken advantage of it to make morbid and tactless comments (Ayato recently had seemed _nostalgic_ , but he would have never acknowledged it); Reiji had been banned from meddling in case he had taken interest in him, since Mary was sure he would have used him as a guinea pig for his experiments; obviously Shuu had grown jealous of her paying attention more to Laito than him, still uncertain about the strange feeling that was making him want to be the only one worthy of the dark-eyed girl's care; and Subaru...

Like the others, he didn't care much about his brother, who was in a sort of coma interrupted by brief moments of spasms and disoriented consciousness, when he was babbling gibberish as if he was in horror; what troubled him was the girl's health, weaker, and the ineffectiveness of her powers; often he had noticed her face darkening when she was trying to distance herself from a too-much-neglected Shuu ( _actually he had some good laugh, since his older brother's frustrated expression was really hilarious_ ): nothing would happen. It was like her powers had suddenly become deaf to her requests; probably this was due to the fact that she wasn't focused enough: Mary was indeed used to act a bit in a hurry, but her thoughts were synchronized in a network of meaningful connections, albeit complex and weird.

He sighed, back watching the sky, and behind the clouds that were thinning out he saw the half-moon's light, melancholy.

* * *

\- Mary-san has lost some weight...

\- _And what about it_? I don't understand how that could concern me - Reiji replied coldly at Yui's timid, as they walked towards the living room, followed by a sullen Ayato: he didn't really like that his girlfriend's was worrying about the other female!

\- I mean you also could do something, _you're still brothers_! For example, Reiji-san, why don't you use some of your books to find a remedy to Laito-kun's problem and...

\- And waste my time and my precious ingredients to heal that good for nothing? Good grief, Yui-san, I didn't think you were so foolish to think that I would do something like that - the vampire snapped, disapproving, and adjusted his glasses with an irritated gesture, entering the room.

The girl paused and sighed in exasperation and troubled by that umpteenth defeat; for several days she had tried to raise awareness and encourage those guys to act, to no avail; nevertheless, Ayato, Shuu and Subaru were mostly inclined to blow down the stone wall separating them from Laito, yet she was sure the reason wasn't all about a spontaneous and sincere concern for the very brother, but was caused by selfish interests: her boyfriend certainly didn't tolerate her negligence towards _Ore-sama_ , the sleepyhead would have had her dear friend all to himself and the albino would have been more relaxed about her.

Ayato peered at her pursing his lips and frowned, before pushing her inside the room while capriciously scolding her, his hands pressed against her back; she smiled slightly, softened by his childlike jealousy; she didn't forget however that he could have radically changed his mood and attitude, and then _it would have been trouble_...

\- Reiji, I hope you have a valid reason for disturbing me... I was sewing and I don't want to waste my time - Kanato asserted coldly, glaring at him from behind the pair of glasses he had begun to wear in mid-summer; they gave him a more mature and elegant appearance, concealing his dark circles partially.

Reiji ignored him and cleared his throat, not before scornfully peeking at his _beloved_ brother who was lying comfortably on a couch, legs overlapped on the armrest and crossed arms behind his head.

\- Everyone, I have an important communication to tell; the _tsukaima_ have told me about the presence of other vampires in town... so I would like to recommend all of you caution and _self-control_ – he looked severly at Ayato, who grunted bored, and Subaru, which snorted angrily - from tomorrow onwards.

\- What about Mary-san? - Yui asked, looking around in search of the girl who was absent; Reiji sighed impatiently, glancing at her sternly.

\- It's the second time, today, that I'm hearing you say nonsense! _Be quiet_! I don't appreciate talking to people who don't listen to me, I'd like to remind you...

\- _Reiji_ \- the blond interrupted him, while stretching his arms - _and do you really think_ I listened to you, now? - he grinned sardonically.

An abrupt noise of broken nerves caused the present to teleport elsewhere, leaving a spectacled shaky vampire alone in the living room, near to a violent hysteric crisis.

* * *

 **And I'm back with the sequel~ :D**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	2. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

Mary had been staring intensively at the ceiling for an hour; among the many things she hated, hopelessly waking up long before the expected time was one of the top 10. And it wasn't the first time happening, since she had been living under the same roof with the Sakamaki brothers.

From mid-July on, she had experienced tumultuous nights, often without falling asleep for long periods, and nightmares had shown up more and more arrogantly; everything had contributed to worsen her mood, and therefore she didn't feel like having a word with the vampires or Yui: she thought about Laito _too much_ , and she hadn't been able to contain her concern.

Distracted, she had also got a bit physically weakened and one day, looking at her mirrored self in the bathroom before a warm and ( _so-hoped_ ) soothing shower, she had widened her eyes in front of her pale and sickly appearance; only then she had realized what was causing Subaru's anxious glances and Yui's sad ones: therefore she had tried to get better, controlling her emotions and moderating their influence on her behaviour.

 _Dreams, though, how could they have been stopped?_

Mary rolled over in her bed, sighing, and eyed the clock on the bedside table: there was still half an hour before getting up, change clothes and prepare for going to school; and she didn't feel any pity from her body to reassure another final nap.

\- _Huff_ \- she muttered, moving a strand of hair from her face and turning to the supine position; her side collided with a sturdier body and instinctively she sniffed the air, smelling the clean scent that made her blush, just slightly after getting used to it.

\- Shuu-san? - she murmured, patiently, without looking at him; the blond moved on his side, thus reducing to a minimum the distance between them.

\- I've been here since a long time - he muttered with his closed eyes, his voice thick with sleep, and rested his forehead against the girl's head; then he frowned, sulking - _you should have noticed_.

 _True_ , the girl thought, _Ari-sensei wouldn't approve this distraction of mine... and Mark would give me one of those deadly head-butts that only we twins can give..._

The vampire opened one of his eyes, looking darkly at her pensive expression while ignoring him involuntarily, and growled angrily, sure that she was thinking about Laito's comatose state; he brought his lips to her ear and bit on it eagerly.

Mary winced, abruptly moving away from the young, and stuttered not to start again with his capricious attempts to keep her for himself: the side effects of his hormones _did not benefit her poor heart_ , being too shy and demure; nevertheless, Shuu began to "cuddle" with her in his own way, sometimes biting her neck or her arm to drink small amounts of blood.

In fact, since a couple of months, the handsome blond seemed to rather prefer kissing her than sipping that aromatic scarlet fluid, embarrassing her hugely often to the point of making her faint; but nothing extreme had occurred yet, after the usual sequence of attentions given to the girl by the vampire: as soon as his hands wandered too close to her chest or her butt, the chair in front of her desk promptly flew straight at his head.

The young man just kept on kissing her, not giving her a chance to breath; until he heard her mumbling protests from below and, finally standing up with his torso, observed her: she had a bright red face, barely hidden from her out-of- _shame_ trembling hands, and her messy pyjamas left a bit uncovered her belly and her cleavage, where her only noticeable scar was still carved onto her skin, memory of a little incident she had experienced about six years before.

Mary took a deep breath, whispering that if he had continued to treat her in that way, sooner or later her heart would have packed up, leaving her at the mercy of his overwhelming person; the vampire chuckled.

\- And what's the problem, huh~? Didn't _you_ confess to me? - he said with a joking and teasing voice, tickling her sides.

\- That doesn't mean you can keep o-o-o-on... - she stammered, staring in disbelief as she escaped from that annoying grip and frowned.

\- _Oooh Shuu~ I love you so much~ I want to be yours, Shuu~_ \- he mocked her, grinning; she felt a throbbing nerve on her forehead and, even though she wished to blend together with the mattress, she slammed both her hands on the vampire's cheeks, glaring at him, and threatened him to stop it.

Obviously the blond, slightly annoyed by that reaction, didn't listen to her and began teasing her again, squeezing her waist with his arms in a jealous hold; he put his lips next to her ear, blowing cold words of sadistic irony. The girl, next to the boiling point, pondered whether throwing the closet on him and simultaneously risking her own safety.

\- Enough – Reiji's cold voice froze the young girl and made his brother snort - It's time to get ready... _I no longer tolerate_ the noise you keep on making, you're disturbing everyone, good grief! - he scolded them harshly and, before teleporting, he recommended not to waste any more time.

In the meanwhile, Mary had sat up and exchanged a knowing look with Shuu, who was laying with his arms folded behind his head to snooze some more, after having stolen another pretty intense kiss from her; it looked like Reiji had spoken to nobody. She stood up, rubbing her mouth on her pyjama's sleeve with an embarrassed expression, and headed for the locker to take her uniform out, asking him to go out so she could change.

She repeated the request as she still sensed his presence and, while placing the uniform jacket and the shirt on the chair, she turned and called him severely; with a bored sigh, the vampire grinned, glancing at her mischievously.

\- _And why shouldn't I stay and enjoy the show_?

The wardrobe fell mercilessly on the bed.

* * *

Reiji was in a foul mood and Mary wasn't unaware of the reason behind such hostility against her: certainly, even though he didn't have a soft spot for her, he didn't appreciate either her relationship with his brother which he deeply and openly envied.

And as they rose, bowed and sat back at their desks, she wondered if she could do something to improve their fraternal relationship; she wasn't expecting to cause somewhat-drastic changes, affectionate gestures ( _as if_! It would have been shocking!) or whatever, but at least reinstate that mutual understanding that all brothers and sisters should have had.

In the meanwhile, the teacher had proceeded with a speech of welcome back from the summer holidays and had just announced the arrival of a new student in their class; Mary, too distracted by her thoughts, didn't noticed the sharp noise caused by Reiji's usual broken nerve, who would have had to pay an astronomical amount of money for all those surgeries that would have fixed said nerve, had he not been a vampire.

As soon as the newcomer set foot in the classroom, a _striking and familiar feeling_ ran down her spine; the girl slowly raised her eyes from the paper she was scribbling on to young man who was writing his name on the blackboard.

\- _Mukami Ruki_. _Yoroshiku_ \- he said in a piercing voice, concealing a tone of mystery, turning around to face the whole class, ignoring the joyful sounds and choked ones from most of the female population; his blue eyes, adorned with greyish streaks, first met the girl's dark irises, who frowned, recognizing him: _he was one of those four vampires whom she had come across in the school hallway_ , _months before_...

\- Oh, everyone, I'd like to change your actual positions...

 _Reiji-san will be sooo happy_ , she thought, breaking in a cold sweat because of the negative vibes she was feeling, coming from the back of the class.

Each student had drawn their own number, while the teacher arranged them randomly on the blackboard in a grid representing their desks; before settling in the new location, Mary exchanged a few words with some of her classmates who were complaining of how exhausting moving their desks was, eyeing occasionally the two vampires: they were near the windows, the new student in the front and Reiji in the back; between them was to be another student, who would had to be the victim of a heavy and gloomy atmosphere for the rest of the school year.

 _I already know how this is going to turn out_ , was the sarcastic remark to herself, shifting her gaze from the three (her favourite number - at the moment the traitor number!) written on that piece of sheet to the one on the blackboard's grid, looking for it anxiously.

\- _Great_ \- she commented with a faint voice, though with a stressed impassive expression, and raised her desk heading towards that trap; she was sure she had seen a grin on the new classmate's face, a nervous grimace on Reiji's and, finally, on the window glass she had glanced at her own reflection: she was _really_ happy, _so happy she wanted to cry_.

* * *

 _Yoroshiku_ : "Nice to meet you"

 **Thanks for reading~ I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

Reiji kept on nagging her, as she rubbed with the usual wet cloth Laito's sweated forehead, still laid on the bed, unconscious and whispering apparent nonsense; Mary sighed and at the twentieth lecture to stay away from the Mukami brothers, her patience reached its limit, which had been already poor since way before because the comatose vampire had had a violent crisis of convulsions and cries.

\- _URUSE!_ – her voice echoed nearly all over the mansion; the vampire stood mouth-opened before that reaction, unable to formulate any sentence or word out of surprise or resentment – Reiji-san, _why on earth_ should I avoid those guys? Ruki-san is a classmate, it's _not rationally possible_ to ignore his presence or his eventual approaching!

The young man fell silent and froze, staing at her bewildered as she took care of his younger brother; he didn't even notice he was left alone in that room, five minutes after the girl had exited in a hurry, risking to pour on herself the bowl of water.

 _She was totally stressed._

She walked down all those hallways as usual, stopping by a bathroom to discard the water in the sink and rinsing the bowl, which was put back in a storage closet later; finally, with a still frustrated expression, she got back in her own bedroom and laid exhausted on the bed, back onwards, hoping to fall asleep and either escaping from that situation or simply improving her mood.

\- No blood today, Subaru-kun; I'm not in shape...

The albino stood up from the chair where he had been siting while waiting for her return, taking a look at her drawings neatly arranged in envelopes piled up on her desk; gloomy, he approached her, sinking on the mattress' edge, on her right.

\- Are you ok? – he asked, touching lightly with his forefingers some of her scattered long, dark locks.

Lately, the girl had no longer been fixing her hair in that elaborate hairstyle which everyone was accustomed to: she often tied them in a high, inaccurate tail, or left them loose, keeping the two braids on her left side, just using some hairpins to hold her hair from her sight; they had once got stuck in one of Shuu's cardigan's buttons, and Mary only knew what the consequences had been...

\- I'm just stressed, don't worry. I'll get better as soon as I see some improvements - she muttered, turning to a supine position; her eyes were closed, but not relaxed, and her mouth was contracted in a grimace of forced concentration.

Hardly convinced, Subaru raised an eyebrow, ironically murmuring that they would have had to wait centuries and centuries to see a minimal progress; he immediately added, stuttering. that he wasn't worried about her, with an embarrassed and irritated tone. Mary ignored him, opening her eyes to stare at the two swans on the ceiling: in her thoughts she called her twin; a nostalgic warmth comforted her a little, after sensing her brother's quiet voice, replying to her with reassurance, even though he was far away.

\- _It'll be all right_ \- she stated, cracking a cheerful and more confident smile; the albino fell silent and, hiding a slight beam on his lips, got up, teleporting elsewhere.

\- One out; _Kanato-kun_? – the girl exclaimed, sitting down and shaking her legs a while, eyeing the balcony's window. A petite figure stood in front of the windows and a second later he was next to her, his plush to the chest and his gaze on the floor; Mary got that the middle trigeminal wasn't in a better mood than her own (not that it was news...).

\- Mary-san, I don't like _those four weaklings_ \- the vampire whispered, highlighting the last three words with a particularly cold and disdainful voice.

 _It reminds me of my mother's reaction when she talks about Karlheinz_ , she thought, trying not to laugh; but why did most of the Sakamaki brothers, if not all of them, dislike those Mukami guys? Even Subaru had twisted his nose, and Ayato had promised himself to stick on Yui round the clock; nevertheless Reiji had confirmed to her that they had never had to deal with them before then; perhaps, they were actually aware of something or their instinct told them they weren't reliable people? Yet, the vibes she perceived about them _weren't completely that negative_...

Kanato tilted his head, observing her closely (so that she had gulped); he asked her what she was thinking and Mary wisely chose not to comment and rather to dwell on another subject: along with Teddy there was another plush, smaller in size and rabbit-shaped; it was cream-colored with the belly and the inside of the ears lined with a synthetic golden cloth, the neck was adorned with a bordeaux bow and two blue buttons as the eyes, sewn one with a white thread, the other with a black one.

 _He's so damn creepy_ , the girl considered, breaking out in a cold sweat as she saw that the plush was lacking a limb; she didn't deny that it was still a good job, and it was meticulously well-finished. These were the words told to the vampire, who reacted coldly by saying that he didn't ask for her opinion and turned his head to the other side; Mary had managed to see his pleased face.

* * *

The next evening, during the break, Mary was overthinking the bad feeling that had accompanied her generously in the first hours of class, as if the person behind her had stared at her all the time; she massaged her neck, pierced by that hypothetical gaze, and tasted for relief that lemon tea she had got herself from the vending machines, with Subaru's company; Reiji had severely recommended to never leave the girls alone, except logically inside the bathroom (Shuu was obviously discharged from that task, lazy as he was he wouldn't have cared much).

Yet she was convinced that something would have gone wrong that very night: Ruki Mukami seemed to be very clever, _cunning_ , and if they really were interested in them, he would have predicted the Sakamaki brothers' behaviour with her and Yui; therefore, in that case, he probably would have had an ace up his sleeve to play.

She quickly confirmed her hypothesis when, distractedly looking out of the window, she saw a tiny light-haired girl with a frightened look backing up in a corner of the porch; in front of her there were those four well-known male figures. Where was Ayato? She had noticed them together as they went to the bathrooms; jealous and protective as he was, said vampire would have never abandoned his girl.

She jumped up and, after throwing the tea container in the trash bin with a sharp line of fire, quickly reached to that area, mumbling curses against Reiji's plans to "protect them."

* * *

A pair of ocean eyes opened in the meanwhile, sleepy, in the music room: the blond had sensed a _lavender scent_ passing by the door, in the hallway, and he had recognized her hurried and decisive movements.

\- _What a pain_ … - he yawned in annoyance, raising up and leaving with a slowness enviable by a snail. As soon as he was outside, he faced his albino brother.

\- Do you know where's the ugly with? – Subaru asked him abruptly , with a scowl on his face – I lost sight of her and I don't think it's very wise to teleport within the school during the break...

Shuu huffed, bored.

\- No. I just know she was here… _Agh_ , _Reiji will pester us about it if he finds out_...

\- I saw a few minutes ago, he isn't suspecting anything yet… unless Kanato doesn't expose everything.

\- _Eh_? – was Shuu's blank and emotionless reply, asking to be clearer, while rubbing his nape; the other vampire explained, irritated.

\- I made a mess out of his room! You know how much vengeful he can be... _Don't laugh_ , _you idiot_!

Shuu kept on snickering.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading~ I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Yui couldn't still figure out what had happened and what was happening.

She had gone to the bathroom, innocently, to make sure it was that time of the month (she would have had peace for a few days and no anaemia, or at least she was hoping for it); Ayato would have never left her alone, so he had escorted her like a good boyfriend a bodyguard would do, waiting for her as a sentry beside the door of the girls' services, under the curious looks of the female students who had exited in the meantime.

Then, all of a sudden, after exiting with a peaceful smile which was concealing a _malignantly victorious_ note, he wasn't anymore at the same place she had expected him to be; _puff!_ , he had disappeared.

She had gone around in the nearby corridors, but she couldn't see any trace of the vampire; however she had sensed the _bad feeling_ of having _four_ pairs of eyes staring at her figure: eyes which were not pleasant.

As soon as her doubts had been confirmed by the cheerful voice behind her (" _Ne_ , _Ruki-kun_ , _shall we approach her_?") she had accelerated her pace; it was a pity that at one juncture the giant from the class next to hers had prevented her from moving forward, followed by the guy with a lost and possibly more gloomy expression than Kanato's.

She had just stepped back, ending up against a wall, and soon a vampires' wall had surrounded her, threatening.

- _He_! Look at how much she's trembling ... – the tallest one commented with a grin, only worsening the panic attack that was growing within her; the blond giggled, crossing his arms behind the back of his head and leaning towards Yui:

\- _Yada_ ~ M-neko-chan, don't be afraid~ we're just here _to get to know each other better_ \- he explained, with a not very convincing look; the young man who had been distracted with the bandages wrapped around his arms until then murmured:

- _Eve_ , what do you think about pain? - he tilted his head as the blond man shrugged and scolded him not to be so tragic; the girl paused over the name she had been called, repeating it.

\- " _Eve_ "? M-My name is Yui! – she stated, confused, trying to appear less frightened than she was.

Finally, the young man who seemed to be the group's boss spoke with his monotonous and sharp voice, not after giving her an enigmatic and somewhat ironic smirk:

\- We know your name is Komori Yui... but, to us, you're _Eve_. And, now, you'll have to pick an _Adam_.

The poor girl wasn't comprehending anymore, and her anxiety was doing nothing but depriving her of the necessary strength to keep standing and being lucid; she felt her soul was about to abandon her to herself. The blond giggled again, commenting that she was really cute with her face tensed with shock and he raised his hand with the intention of poking her cheek, or so it seemed.

Suddenly a stone darted in front of him, scratching his hand, and halting everything for two seconds.

\- _Get away from her_ , _now_.

That voice overflowed in Yui the hope and joy of being saved, despite the gloomy and cold tone that could have turned pale the angel of death; the four vampires stiffened, then turned slowly and eyed Mary's determined and intimidating figure, who approached them with a firm yet elegant step. They let her pass through them, and it was at that moment that she felt inexpressible vibes, caused in particular by her classmate's insistent gaze; she stopped in front of Yui, raising an arm, as if to raise a protective barrier.

\- Yui-chan, head to the left, quickly - she whispered gently, with a slight serious tone in her voice; her friend nodded, swallowing, and went away, casting worried and afraid glances at her.

Mary turned to the boys, crossing her arms to the chest, and glared at each one of them with her dark irises, partly hidden by the hair falling on her face: Kou was quite irritated and was looking at the small wound on the back of his hand; Ruki was smiling enigmatically, composed, with his eyes as piercing as diamond blades; Yuma had tilted back his head, looking at her surly; Azusa silently stared at her with those lavender eyes and seemed... _passionate_ about her presence.

\- I don't know what your goal is, but I'd rather have you not approach my friend like this: _you're scaring her_.

The blond burst out laughing, approaching her by a step and moving some locks away from her face, behind her ear with a swift and soft gesture of his hand:

\- _Gomen_ , _gomen_ , Neko-chan! We didn't do it on purpose, really~ - he said, raising his hands as if he wanted to swear solemnly.

 _I don't like this guy_ , Mary thought, _he seems somewhat fake_ , she frowned before looking at his classmate: an unknown entity had suggested that he wanted to speak to her.

\- It wasn't our intention to frighten her... _or at least it wasn't our main goal_ \- he smiled mysteriously; Mary saw another grin appear on the tallest vampire's face as Ruki went on - We just wanted to chat, that's all.

\- You could always invite her for a coffee at the school bar, don't you think so? - she bit back, hearing the bell's sound - See you in class - she turned and headed towards the stairs, but stopped immediately as soon as she heard her classmate's voice.

\- _Izanami_...

A vague memory took hold of her thoughts: her mother's figure smiling sadly at her, after she had taken her by the river, and the twin tightened to her in search of comfort, discouraged by all the noises only he could hear; she recalled some of her mother's indefinite recommendations and then the abandonment, while her father held his little children's hands, as he watched his wife walk away hesitantly.

Mary turned around, tilting her eyes and staring at the four vampires for a long time, more confused than stupefied; she leaned back and staggered.

\- You... _how_... - she murmured. It was as if an explosion was to take place, it was a countdown before a mental breakdown; and Ruki's enigmatic and "I know it all" smile did nothing more than make her feel sicker and sicker.

It was a hand on her shoulder to distract her from everything, pulling her back with strength and at the same time with care; her eyes shifted to Subaru's annoyed face, staring at the four vampires before them; she sensed another presence behind her, and the scent of clean soothed her, but for a short time: when he came to her side, Mary noticed Shuu's lost and thoughtful look, directed to the giant who was glancing at him with a confused expression, which could have been interpreted as a " _What are you looking at, do we know each other_?".

\- Let's go - the albino grunted, after giving the Mukami brothers a dirty look, mentally slapping the blond one in particular; at last, they left.

* * *

\- Shuu-san - Mary knocked gently at the vampire's door, sincerely worried; from the time when he had escorted her in the classroom with Subaru, the blond's ocean-blue eyes seemed exhausted, tired and _dead_ ; a dead ocean is an ocean that has greeted the tomb of life in its depths.

Not receiving an answer, she refrained from resorting to the usual method she used with the albino and chose to open it cautiously, looking at the interior from the slit: darkness.

\- Shuu-san? - she called again, before jumping at feeling a hand on her shoulder for the second time in the evening.

\- What are you doing? - Reiji asked, scrutinizing her with a grimace of disapproval – _Shouldn't you be in Laito's room_?

 _Ah, this shithead. You don't care at all about your brother, but use him as an excuse for get rid of me, to get me away from Shuu. Disgusting opportunist_ , Mary thought, narrowing her eyes and holding back the growing dislike towards the spectacled vampire.

\- It's a good thing that _I_ , unlike _you uncaring brothers_ , I do worry about every single member of this family! If I know someone is in trouble or depressed, I do not think twice about helping him!

The two kept silent and exchanged hostile glances until the bedroom's door opened completely: Shuu ran his fingers through his hair, messing them up and muttering sleepily; he was wearing comfortable greenish cotton trousers and a large knitted sweater, and they were both crumpled, sign that until a few moments ago he was backing in the blankets. Nothing to wonder if it hadn't been for a certain detail: he had changed, the same person who wouldn't lift a finger to undress and would drift directly into the bathtub with the clothes still on.

\- _What's with all this racket_ , I was sleeping... - he complained, still mumbling irritably and yawning; Reiji raised an eyebrow and addressed a grin to Mary.

\- He seems perfectly fine to me. You have no reason to worry about him - he said, hatefully; the girl's silver eyes blinked, turning back to their natural colour rapidly.

\- ... _Eh_? Were you worried about _me_? - the vampire behind her spoke with a low voice, while she felt flushing with embarrassment and tension.

In a split second she was pulled into the room, immersed in total darkness; she heard Reiji's displeasure comment from the other side of the door, then his frantic and irate steps that slowly faded away. It was obvious that he would have never teleported to interfere between them, even though he disliked them being together.

\- _Uuuhm_ , _Shuu-san_? - Mary murmured; of course, saying that she was infatuated with the blond was quite an euphemism, but despite this she didn't like that situation: alone, in the dark, in a locked bedroom. Where did she read or heard about such a setting...?

She felt his cold breath on her neck and his arms wrapping around her waist, holding her in a sharp grasp; his cheek leaned on hers, tickling her with his locks.

\- _Heee_ ~ you're hot, you've got a fever? Do you want _me_ to worry about _you_ , now? – Shuu blew on her skin, his voice low and husky; Mary flinched, grabbing his wrists with her trembling hands, and struggled, wishing to get away as soon as possible from that grip: her heart had just rang the alarm bell, in view of an imminent failure.

\- _S_ - _Shuu_ - _san_... please, _let me go_... - she stammered, trying to ignore the little kisses he was printing on her jaw.

\- Nh~? Don't be shy, you're the one who came looking for me... _at last_ \- he stressed in a frustrated tone, confirming how much he had been jealous of the attentions given to his brother in coma, lately; Mary widened her eyes and forgot everything, releasing a slight laugh.

The vampire stopped, probably looking at her questioningly, and asked her why she had just laughed.

\- It seems I wasn't the _only one looking for you_... _You were also waiting for me_ \- she said, looking for his cheek and pinching it with her fingers, while her sweet smile almost seemed to light up their faces and allow them to see each other in the dark; Shuu pouted and pulled away from the girl, sighing.

\- So? Why were you worried about me? - he asked, moving away; Mary tried to calm herself down and, as she answered, she felt a thud: Shuu had flopped on the bed, surely.

\- This morning, with the Mukami... I noticed that you were estranged, especially, I think, because of the tallest one...

Silence. An endless, heavy, suffocating silence; the girl stepped back carefully, colliding with the door, and she slowly looked for the key with her hands, to leave him alone: it was obvious he didn't want to talk about it to her, thus she wasn't going to insist.

\- Whenever you want, _I'm here for you_ , Shuu-san - she just said, before leaving and closing the door.

She stood motionless for a few seconds, distractedly staring at the floor, and then, pulling back the tears of frustration, she headed for Laito's room, to fulfil that daily task.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading~ I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**


	5. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

She saw that cold, crazy, smile on that traitor's face, who was holding poison-dripping blades; at her feet, a lifeless body with familiar features laid.

\- _What_ , Mary-chan? – she said, her voice piercing and terribly disturbing - Are you _still_ angry with me?

* * *

The girl jerked up, slapping her own cheeks with her hands to weaken the post-dream shock, a tip thoughtfully suggested by Yui: it didn't work badly, but it wasn't enough. She put her hand on her forehead, rubbing it as if to consume that nightmare's residues; without realizing the presence of another body under the blankets, until he moved closer, hugging her.

Mary jumped, shifting her eyes to the blond head resting on her thigh: he was sleeping blissfully, breathing deeply.

Two minutes later, Shuu was hurled against the wall.

* * *

Reiji seemed to be somewhat happy, though he didn't have any tests where he could show his solicitude in studying; Mary knew that his good mood was due to Shuu's fierce treatment after her awakening, and rather than this, she was more astonished at a group of classmates who were watching him with delight. Certainly, the Sakamaki brothers were handsome young men, but if they thoroughly examined their personalities...

After a few minutes of trying to ignore those not much refined comments, she left the class annoyed and went to the vending machines to get a lukewarm drink; as soon as she was gone, Ruki was already next to her.

\- Would you like me to offer you some coffee, Ruki-san? - she asked with sincere courtesy, without looking at him.

\- Sure; without sugar – her classmate replied.

In front of the vending machines, neither of them reacted until they had their own drinks in their hands and sat down on a bench, quietly; they weren't even old-time friends.

Mary opened the tin full of lemon tea, thoughtful, then spoke to him:

\- What do you know about _Izanami_ and _Izanagi_?

Ruki smiled:

\- They are gods belonging to the Japanese folklore... - he began, interrupting himself to enjoy the sight of her _facepalm_ , muttering that she wasn't referring to the _mythological ones_ , but to _those of the prophecy_.

The young man's smile took on a mocking appearance.

\- _Then I know what you know_.

Silence fell again between the two, followed by his unnerving nails' ticking on his coffee's can; the girl began to feel a strong sense of uneasiness (as well as an _unusual_ need to _slap him countless time_ ), the air seemed to have become heavier, unbreathable, and more oppressive. She drank the last sip of tea, before crumbling the container and throwing it into the trash bin, at two meters from them, nailing it perfectly.

She stood up, quietly uttering that she was returning to class, and hurried to any place that was far from him or his brothers; she felt her wrist being grabbed and heard Ruki's cold and mocking voice blowing on her hair and piercing her ears.

\- It's too early to go back to class, don't you think? - he smirked with a glint in his eyes which wasn't promising at all, walking around her to stand in front of her; suddenly, those ten centimetres of difference in height seemed tripled – Let's talk a little bit more.

Despite the silver glares she addressed him, Mary was breaking out in a cold sweat and thinking about what to do: using her demonic powers, besides being exhausting, wasn't a wise idea, as there were still some sporadic students wandering around the school's hallways and courtyards, therefore there was the possible threat _of Reiji's whip_.

 _God, please don't abandon me, may some teachers call on him..._

\- Ah, Mukami-kun!

 _God, I love you_.

Taken aback, Ruki instinctively loosened his grip on Mary's wrist, who took advantage of it to break free and run away, seeking the music room to take shelter. She heard behind her the teacher recommending her not to run in the hallways and joking with the vampire about having make his girlfriend escape; she almost bit her tongue because of that comment's, which upset her.

 _Huh?! No, no: Shuu forever_.

As soon as she reached her destination, she entered the room and closed herself in, leaning against the wall and sliding on the floor, panting, her chest hurting in an enough tolerable way; she rubbed her wrist, where a red and hot bruise was forming, reminder of that cold grip. However, it wasn't that detail that was disturbing her, but the satisfied expression the vampire had shown when his grey-stained blue eyes had met with her silvery ones. What was exactly his goal? And why was her breath taking _so long to settle_...?

Suddenly she jumped up, interrupting her last thought (the most worrying among the others), and leaned to the wall, examining the room; strange noises had attracted her attention, not the usual creaking that would increase anxiety and fear during sleep, especially after playing a _survival horror_ game; she sniffed the air, hoping to smell that scent of clean that would have appeased the tension.

But Shuu wasn't there.

Mary swallowed, ignoring the lump of concern (or disappointment?) in her throat and stayed in place; when the lights suddenly went out, she sharpened her senses and familiar vibes approached her, making her shift a little in the opposite direction.

\- Ne ne~ Neko-chan, what a romantic idea to have a _blind_... - a chirping voice started, causing her spine to shiver.

\- … _date_! - a more heavier and _so damn closer_ voice behind her finished, followed by a sarcastic giggle; another milder and more timid voice reached directly her ear, touched by the owner's lips.

\- _Izanami_...

Ice-like cold fingers glided along her neck, causing her a slight jolt; _Oh, but are all of these vampires the same?!_ , Mary thought, getting away from them in the shadows, his irises glittering; two strong arms grabbed her waist and she recognized the giant's frame, who blew coldly over her hair.

\- Come with us, we'll have fun...

 _How about no!_ , was the girl's alarmed thought, trying to get off of her Yuuma's body, which didn't move at all.

\- What's your _prob_ -...

\- _Shh~_ , don't shout, you wouldn't like to be in the limelight, would you, Neko-chan~? –the blond whispered in a sugary tone, clinging to her left arm and muffling her mouth with his right hand. Another pair of arms clutched her free one and Azusa's chin leaned on her shoulder, almost affectionately, seeking attention; it was likely that the lavender-eyed young man was staring at her intensely, waiting for her to notice him.

\- Azusa-kun~ you're _too_ clingy! – the blond scolded him jokingly, then turned to her again murmured to forgive his little brother; _No problem_ , Mary thought sarcastically, with a nerve throbbing on her forehead, _why should I get angry with this puppy while YOU are preventing me from talking?! Take that hand off, you idiot!_

\- Kou, _let her go_.

 _Oh God, the boss has arrived..._

Mary winced as she felt a hand touching her neck, almost on her cleavage, as if Ruki wanted to perceive her breath; his face approached hers and whispered, talking to himself, that there was something strange in her breath: as if it was _forced_ , not natural. Finally his voice stroked her face like a blade, assuring her that the Sakamaki brothers wouldn't have come and save her.

It was true; but they were not to blame: they had met with a person they would have never liked to meet, as far as possible.

The girl clicked her tongue, annoyed, murmuring if it wouldn't have been easier to ask her what they were interested in without performing a kidnapping worthy of a dark comedy; Ruki chuckled with sarcasm, and his hand slid to caress her jaw, replying that it would have been useless to act that way: no one gives anything without something in return or without retaliation on himself.

\- There's no harm in trying - Mary sighed. What was so illicit in what they were looking for? And what was she going to lose if she had provided it? _By now she had already lost (almost) everything that she had close to her heart_.

The girl perceived a bizarre movement coming from the blond, as if he had been alarmed by something; in fact, a second later, he turned to Ruki to report something that he couldn't believe himself.

\- Ruki-kun... _she's_...

The bell's ringing interrupted him; Yuuma mumbled something, leaning his chin on the girl's head still clutched in his grasp, and, ignoring her complaints, warned his brothers:

\- One of them is approaching.

They disappeared, not without leaving some mementos: Kou kissed her cheek, Ruki gave her one of his usual enigmatic smiles, Yuuma ruffled her hair and Azusa squeezed her hands in his _morbidly_ , teleporting a few seconds later than the others.

The lights were finally on; Shuu stumbled into the room with a long sigh of irritation, recalling the encounter he had before and stopped in sensing Mary's presence in _his_ music room. A bit hesitant, he informed her that Reiji was looking for her from the beginning of the break and that he was pretty nervous; the girl rubbed her hand on her arm, nodding and quickly heading towards the door.

The blond grabbed her wrist, the one which Ruki had been holding, and lifted it to examine it in silence; she also fell silent, letting him do it, and she blushed a little when he got closer with his nose smelling her hair.

\- You love to get yourself in trouble, don't you? - he said gloomily, frowning and leaning his forehead against hers.

 _I'm dead_ , Mary thought; she fainted.

* * *

She opened her eyes slowly, catching sight of unclear shapes: as she distinguished the colours, she felt a sense of joy mixed with uncertainty in seeing the reddish-haired person who was staring at her from above; as soon as she recognized his features, she suppressed everything she was starting to feel to leave room for fatigue and dizziness.

She raised her numb torso and, as a light body sat on the bed's edge beside her, she heard Yui's voice speak with anxious tone; she shifted her eyes from the girl to Ayato, who was observing his girlfriend with crossed arms, sulking.

The two bickered a little, with him being moody and her displeased; Mary couldn't discern the sounds and wondered if she didn't suddenly become deaf or whatever.

Unfortunately, it was just an effect caused by her awakening, because Reiji's irritated clear and sharp voice reached her ears, and it wasn't cheerful and promising for sure.

* * *

\- Markucchi?

Theo approached his friend, putting a hand on his shoulder.

\- I see you're quite worried, are you ok? - he asked, flaunting his smile as ever, while in the kitchen their senpai Morten and kohai Anna were busying themselves in their usual night time quarrels.

- _I'm not_ the one who's worried, it's _Aneki the one who's worried_.

Theo fell silent and sat next to him, who went on.

\- She has _too many burdens_ and feelings of guilt on her heart...

\- How's Laito-san? - the other asked after five minutes of silence, remembering that vampire with the hat who was with Mary the first time he had visited her.

\- No improvement - Mark said, raising his emotionless face upwards.

Theo sighed bitterly, even if he continued to smile; they heard a loud noise coming from the kitchen.

\- Anna dropped the fridge again - Mark murmured, completely disinterested.

\- She can destroy anything, at any rate Morten-senpai is the supervisor. Oh, of course, nobody must touch Cho-hime's motorbike - Theo said, shuddering.

* * *

 _Of course no one is allowed to touch MY motorcycle_ , Mary thought, after bidding goodnight to her brother; she turned around on her bed, thinking of what Reiji had told her about the _pleasing_ meeting with their father at school. She wondered what business did Karlheinz have at school; did he have nothing else to do, like dedicating himself to the political life behind which he was hiding under the name of Tougo Sakamaki?

She jerked up, frowning.

\- Shuu-san, _get out_.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading~ I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

Ruki grinned as they headed to the classroom with the class registers in hand; having obtained the best results in a sudden test, the teacher had "rewarded" them with a small task to be entrusted exclusively to them, considered _worthy of his trust_. Certainly an honour to be in a teacher's graces, but that wasn't enough to placate the nervous crisis which Mary was a victim of; _perhaps_ , it was a dilemma as to what was her bad mood's _cause_ : Reiji's influence or Ruki's enigmatic and mocking grin?

Her nerves were throbbing everywhere and she was ignoring the vampire's presence beside her until, once the registers had been delivered, they _gazed at each other_ in front of the teachers' lounge, her distrustful expression contrasting his usual smile.

\- Pull a prank on me like last time and I swear I'll tear your teeth off. _Don't you dare_.

\- First, _I don't take orders from you_ ; second - he kept on smirking, after saying the first sentence with a dark and intimidating tone - do you really think you can tear a _vampire's_ teeth off?

Touché, I forgot you have a very strong physical structure, Mary thought, turning up her nose and then wrinkling her lips, sullen; Ruki, in front of this funny sequence of expressions, raised an eyebrow, amused, and approached her.

The girl felt cold on her neck, touched by the vampire's cold fingers sliding down the skin like icicles, at last touching the collar of her shirt; she blushed at the excessive closeness, as he breathed her scent with the tip of his nose touching the back of her ear.

 _Somehow that attitude reminded her of Shuu_...

\- You have a _very peculiar_ scent. If I tore your flesh apart, the smell of your blood would spread instantly and everywhere, attracting even the farthest vampires and the _vilest ones_... - he murmured in a low, piercing voice - But I won't allow them to touché you: it would be _an unforgivable mistake to leave you in the clutches of worthless creatures like them_... or inept like the Sakamaki's...

\- _Hey_ , _over there_! Don't flirt in front of the classroom, _you rascals_! Back to class! - a teacher's call came from the hallway's bottom; Mary didn't hear him, too focused on not to panic.

* * *

Two days had passed since the last _passionate_ conversation with Ruki, and none of the Mukami brothers had approached her or Yui; as Reiji had recommended, the Sakamaki's were always on guard and watching over the girls (focusing more on the vampire-to-be one), all of them but Shuu: he looked like he had alienated himself from the world and this had intensified Mary's concern towards him.

She had asked for possible explanations about his behaviour: Ayato and Kanato, who were totally disinterested and ignoring him as everyone else, hadn't been able to tell her anything; Subaru and Yui had mentioned her to vaguely remember a certain close friendship of the past when the six brothers were children; finally, Reiji, rather hostile to the question and strangely nervous, had clarified everything, at the same time revealing a malignant satisfaction that only an envious person can feel.

\- I remember he had a _human_ friend; that _good-for-nothing_ would spend most of the time out of the house with that _inferior being_ , and promptly attract our mother's attentions, _who was justly opposed to his_ companion - he seemed to stiffen and the atmosphere became chilling, while scrupulously examining the library's furniture to look for the smallest trace of dust. Mary, s she leaned against a shelf while torturing her lower lip with her nails, reflected on what he had told her and asked another question.

\- And now? I suppose that friend is dead, considering it happened several years ago...?

Right away Reiji interrupted her with a low sarcastic laughter, turning to her and throwing her an ironic look.

\- Oh no, he didn't die of old age or illness - _he died in a fire_!

As soon as the last word was spoken, Mary widened her eyes, struck by a sad enlightenment, and before the vampire could even continue, she had already thanked him and had hurried away, leaving behind her his complaints.

She walked towards the blond's bedroom, stopping with her hand lifted, a moment before grasping and pulling down the door handle; _who was she to bring up the past and her guesses_?

She was a stranger; she knew nothing if not little of his childhood, of the people who had surrounded them, of the events they had experienced, of their feelings; she couldn't talk to Shuu about what she was thinking, or his pyrophobia which he kept on denying to her: she would have been intrusive and indiscreet. And perhaps she could have worsened that relationship that they had recently established, although she wasn't sure what kind of relationship it was or if he had recognized it.

She sighed bitterly and gave up; maybe a more opportune circumstance to discuss might have happened. With this not very comforting thought, she decided to go to Laito's room and examine his condition, unaware that her scent had reached the ocean-eyed vampire's nostrils.

* * *

The girl tapped her fingers nervously on the tea can, aware that this gesture had attracted the attention of the classmate who was studying her on the other side of the courtyard, along with his brothers; Mary was sitting next to Yui on a bench, trying to ignore as much as possible those sharp eyes on their figures, watched over by Subaru, not much far from them. There was still a dozen minutes before the break's end, which she had spent with fair-haired girl, chatting over and over; and right then, after ignoring them for two days, the Mukami brothers had decided to come back, even though they were merely observing them.

She glanced up slightly, meeting Kou's blue eyes, who sweetly smiled at her; overcome by a sense of uneasiness, she immediately turned to her friend, asking if she was still troubled by some Math exercises. As she listened to the answer, she spontaneously pondered out of curiosity: considering that the Sakamaki brothers had suffered trauma during their childhood, what kind of past did the Mukami's have?

She stiffened in hearing the blond's laugh whom she had established with that short visual contact and furrowed her eyebrows, wondering if he could read their thoughts. She looked at the four vampires again, freezing as she saw Ruki's mysterious smile, Azusa's thinking expression, and the other two's snickering faces.

She grimaced, anxiously stared at by Yui, who shook her shoulder slightly to distract her; Mary returned her gaze, smiling mildly.

\- Sorry, I didn't mean to forget about you.

\- _Uh-uh_ – she said, shaking her head and smiling - I understand that they're putting pressure on you... actually, I admit I don't like them much either...

\- It's not a matter of liking or not - she sighed, explaining as soon as she met her _kohai's_ confused eyes - _I just want to understand what's their purpose_.

 _And how do they know Izanami and Izanagi?,_ she thought, wrinkling her lips; the bell rang. She heard Yui mumble a few words of disappointment as she stood up and bid her farewell with regret, then walked towards her class; Ayato and Kanato reached her a few seconds later.

Subaru, leaving the corner where he had settle in for to watch over them, approached her, surpassing her and moving towards the school's inside.

\- Let's go - he just said, hands in pockets; before following him, Mary looked where the Mukami were standing: they were gone.

* * *

Reiji sighed, rubbing his temples and mumbling that, one at home, he would have looked for some painkillers for his headache that was more frequent and intense recently.

\- Is it _strictly_ necessary? - he asked, grinding his teeth; the girl in front of him kept on staring at him impassively, just moving her head in an affirmative nod.

The vampire took off his glasses and brushed back his hair with an exasperated gesture.

\- _Alright then_! I'll grant you only _two hours_ to go, find what you need and get back!

 _Otherwise…? Whip... ?,_ Mary thought shuddering inside, without letting out any emotion; she thanked him and shook her hand in Yui's direction, who looked a little worried, and to the other brothers, some being more or less disinterested.

She heard the albino shouting, stating that some of them should have gone and watch over her, but she didn't care; she had assured Reiji that she would have been able to defend herself.

 _Or maybe...?_

She advanced to the high school gates, drawing the town map in her mind to find a decent shop where she could buy some urgently needed clothes. Thanks to _somebody_ , most of her mid-season sweaters had been torn off and consequently unhappily discarded; or even re-used by _someone else_ as cloth for his future plush toys.

And she also needed take a break. _Definitely_.

As soon as she was crushed by the night urban crowd she looked for a clothes' store and before entering, she prayed the Creator to help her in finding some suitable sweatshirts right away so that she could still have some more free time.

In about forty minutes she found two large and comfortable hoodies, made of soft, beautiful fabric and above all of good quality, one was aquamarine coloured and drop-patterned, the other one simply indigo; she also bought a heavy, black cotton sweater, with red lace edges and a print on the front representing a large rose stained with blood.

 _Appropriate..._

Then, in order to enjoy the last hour of freedom, she first satisfied a small caprice: she bought five packs of dark pepper chocolate; then she window-shopped items which were _quite cute as useless_ ; at last, she ventured in a library looking for a couple of interesting books (not found!) and some nice manga to read in the evening (not found!).

In the meantime, she was starting to sense the unpleasant feeling of being stared at; she had suspected that there were the Mukami brothers somewhere from the beginning, but she knew how to distinguish their shrewd looks from the murderous one.

She had a hunter on her heels.

In comparison, the four vampires were not a problem.

 _More or less_.

Her eyes, among the displayed periodicals and comics, found some magazines: in particular, one had a photo of Kou Mukami on the cover, in a bizarre pose as he was sensually brushing his hair back and giving some lavender roses to a girl.

 _He has the world's fakest smile_ , Mary thought, grasping the item, browsing and reading some details about him: the young vampire was working as an idol, and was well known among his fans for both for his songs and his looks; she wasn't surprise, after all the young man was indeed good-looking and probably his figure was suitable according to the requisites expected by the agency that had hired him.

What she was really curious about was his voice; it would have been interesting to listen to some of his songs, but where could she find a CD?

\- Neko-chan~ You can ask _directly to me_!

 _Oh, Santa Claus made of chocolate sold at the pastry shop near school_ , Mary cursed in her head, remembering how she had hated those moments when kids would push her everywhere in order to get there as soon as possible and get that seventy-five per cent discounted product.

\- _Kou-kun_ \- she face to face with the boy smirking at her – _I thought it was weird_ that no one had reached to me yet.

\- Got a problem, _ba~ka_? - she heard on her left, recognizing Yuuma's sharp voice; the girl breathed deeply, keeping herself calm, and put the magazine back in its place and turned to the giant just to jump in meeting, not his hazel eyes, but Azusa's lavender ones, suddenly in front of her (even Kou had jumped, probably not expected it).

\- _Oh_... that's... pepper chocolate... it's _spicy_ , isn't? Right? It _burns_... - he grinned, touching his lips with his fingers which were holding the usual bandages; behind him Yuuma took a sigh of exasperation, as she raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

\- It's strange that those _incompetent_ Sakamaki's let you wander around, _by herself_.

 _Here's the boss, I couldn't wait to see him again_ , Mary thought ironically, breaking out in a cold sweat as she felt her right arm being grasped by the youngest brother; ignoring Kou's mischievous smile and Yuuma's ambiguous look, she shifted her eyes to Ruki. She pondered her words before speaking, as she felt some nasty vibes near them.

\- _It's even weirder that you vampires can't perceive a huntress' presence nearby_ \- she whispered in an audible voice, staring into his eyes. The classmate, sincerely taken aback, _his pride terribly wounded_ , became serious and crossed his arms to his chest.

\- This could be a problem. Are you going to act in some way?

The girl didn't answer immediately, deep in thought; Yuuma scratched his head, grumbling something about that unwanted and unexpected event, and searched into his pockets some of his sugar cubes, munching them with joy to relax; Azusa kept on observing her, clutching at her right arm; Kou had carried his hands behind his head, swinging on his place, and leaned onward to look at her face, trying to read her thoughts.

After throwing an annoyed look at him, Mary sighed again, massaging her nose bridge.

\- I don't like to get my hands dirty, but... - she recalled the past experience with the last hunter and how suspicious was that another one had arrived in the same town - Maybe _it's better to get rid of her_ before she can warn her colleagues. _Ah_ , she just left.

Her silver eyes gleamed; the Mukami's, who were looking at the front door, couldn't see them, but dozens of impalpable and invisible butterflies had flown up, chasing the hunter who was getting away from the store.

\- Well, _have a good night_... - the girl said hastily, taking advantage of Azusa's distraction to get out of his grip and hurry to the door; she felt her shoulders being clawed at and she mentally screeched out of despair.

\- _Neko-chan_ , not so fast~ Karlheinz-sama tasked us with reporting you a _very_ important message, _hehe_ ~ - Kou told her, holding her as he wore his strange smile; Mary repeatedly blinked, frowning.

\- What _exactly_ would it be? - she asked, slowly drawing back from the grip and turning for the last time to them; Ruki smiled at her, enigmatic.

\- I'll be brief and exhaustive at the same time: the Sakamaki brothers _don't need two_ blood supplies; therefore it's appropriate that you come to _us_.

 _Now I'm really in trouble_ , she thought with eyes twitching, after fiercely facepalming.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading~ I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**


	7. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

If she had known the huntress was a chain smoker, she would have avoided wearing her poor butterflies out in tracing her; she could recognize that disgusting smell of smoke even a mile away. Indeed, there was no need to use the smell: on the pursuit's way, the Mukami were following her; and she was _so glad_ about it.

 _How many great things have been happening_ , she thought wryly, as she looked around carefully, realizing that they were in a quite deserted street near a to-be-renovated area. Probably the huntress was quite confident in her abilities; she knew that the girl would have followed her and had deliberately led her into that abandoned neighbourhood to face her directly.

She stopped, muttering incomprehensible words, and looked at the female figure standing a little far away from her, holding a cigarette in her fingers, exhaling smoke with exhibitionist-ish gestures.

 _I'm gonna make it explode in your face, I swear_ , she thought again, with a nerve pulsing painfully on her temple; obviously annoyed, Yuuma, who was munching on some sugar, shoved her from behind, mumbling not to waste any more time. Fortunately, Mary managed to keep her balance (and above all to ignore the excruciating pain that had radiated from her back to her whole body); she turned to him, eyes twitching.

\- _What's your problem_? – she snapped, though keeping a minimum of demeanour; the giant opened his mouth, at first surprised by the girl's hostile tone, then shaking a fist.

\- _Huh_?! I just told you not to waste time, we don't have all night to get ri-...

\- _That woman_ \- she interrupted him, under Kou's amused eyes and Ruki's stern ones; Azusa was looking at them timidly with a finger on his lips - could kill us anytime, we must be caref-...

\- _HUH_?! _Oi_ , _Mesubuta_!

 _E-Eh? Mesu... bu-buta...?!_

\- Don't you dare underestimate us, _we're not weak_! - he yelled at her, grabbing her shirt collar aggressively and staring at her. She didn't react immediately, still processing the nickname she had just been called with; she loosened her hand's grip, thus dropping the school bag and the paper bag containing the new clothes and the chocolate bars.

Ruki took advantage of the moment of silence to scold Yuuma, intimating him to lower his voice; in the meanwhile Azusa was biting his finger, envious of the girl's position, as he was imagining to be in her place and hit by his big brother.

\- Maybe not weak, but surely you lack intellect... - Mary murmured at one point, scrutinizing the vampire who widened his eyes, quite shocked; Kou stifled a laugh, then burst out laughing.

\- _HUH_!? _You_...

The girl suddenly felt an electric shock crossing her spine; she managed to push Yuuma off and quickly jumped to the road's side, dodging just in time an invisible entity dropping onto the ground and crushing it: the vampires, astonished, retreated.

Mary clicked her tongue: her arms were sore, probably because of the immense effort to move the giant, who was cursing like a sailor; she was also afraid she had annoyingly sprained her ankle; finally, remembering her purchases and her school bag, she shifted her attention to what had remained of it, grumbling bitterly.

She heard Ruki's cold voice telling his angry brother to be quiet, while Kou and Azusa turned restlessly towards the woman who was progressively approaching them, quiet, producing a ticking sound at each step because of her boots' heels.

The girl followed their eyes and widened her eyes as she saw a luminescent hand raising with a quick and decisive gesture in their direction: with feline speed she went in front of the two confused vampires and raised her hands in front of herself as to stop something; along the skin of her fingers, burgundy veins appeared.

A violent impact struck her on the two Mukami brothers; the three of them stumbled to the ground, her back on the blonde, who let out a surely irritated groan; to get away the girl rolled to the side, clenching her teeth with pain, but in that way she bumped Azusa, making him _sigh out of pleasure_.

\- Neko-chan, _what_...? - she heard Kou exclaim, in a more nervous and dumbfounded tone; she ignored him, busy in exchanging a puzzled look with the pleased one of the lavender-eyed slender vampire, enthusiastic.

\- Izanami... - he called her, and he would have begged her to bump him again if she had not been lifted by a couple of strong arms; the brutal treatment suggested that it was Yuuma, and she didn't fail in realising it.

She was wrong in thinking he had reached her to vent his anger on her, though: the giant plunged his nose in her hair, breathing deeply, intoxicated, and only then Mary realized she had a wound on her head; he inspired a second time, releasing an awkward growl that vaguely reminded Shuu's ones when he was feeling too much neglected.

\- A sip right now wouldn't be that bad, _ne_ , _Mesubuta_ \- he whispered huskily in her ear, chuckling afterwards, clutching her wrist with one hand and her waist with the other - I might forgive your insult, then...

 _What insult? I don't recall having insulted... ah, that_ , she commented in her head, remembering that she had actually told him he wasn't very clever; she tried to refrain from slapping him in his face, but she wouldn't have had the time to do so anyway: the huntress, with her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket and the cigarette between her teeth, was already a meter away.

\- _Disgusting_ \- she said, her comment grim and nauseated; she examined them with eyes as cold as ice, her face framed by a few strands of short hair.

Ruki narrowed his eyes, cautious; Kou gave her an indecipherable look and shifted his arms behind his head, scowling; Azusa silently examined her from below, still sitting on the floor, biting the bandages on his wrist; Yuuma grunted, distancing himself a little from the girl, without loosening his grip; Mary stared at the foe with her silvery eyes, noticing on her forehead an inscription she recognized instantly.

\- _Daughter of raped witches_... - she whispered; hardly anybody could have sense a sickened tone in her voice, but the Mukami brothers did hear it and were mentally questioning about it.

\- Oh shut up, _hybrid_. Surely I'm not as _filthy_ as those of your species.

Mary's hair whitened and her gaze sharpened. The vampire finally released her and walked away a few steps: he had felt something tingling in his skin, causing him more than a few shivers, because that feeling had been really _strange_ , abnormal.

The girl walked to the foe and, after brushing her hair off, tilted her head to the side, saying:

\- I've never understood all this hatred towards hybrids. Is it just envy, or are you terrified that most of the hybrids are always quite powerful?

\- Envy? What envy? It is regardless of whether you have superhuman powers, that there are hunters to exterminate you. Demons, witches, vampires: you are a danger to the human species. And especially you hybrids, you're more dangerous than the bloodsucking vermin – the huntress acidly stated, raising her head and glaring at the Mukami brothers.

Mary sighed exasperated, the guys slightly confused by it.

\- Always the same banal answer. Never met a hunter who knows how to give me a logical explanation - she said, shaking her head before turning her eyes to the starry sky; the huntress arched her eyebrow and let the cigarette fall on the ground, now consumed.

\- Logic? Beings capable of killing with a few gestures mustn't exist. Isn't it reasonable to think about survival, the preservation of the human rac...

\- _Selfish_ , _incoherent_ , ignorant - the girl's piercing and dark voice interrupted that conversation which had already been heard countless times, so much that it had lost any consistency and credibility.

The hunter stammered something, trying to resume her speech, before widening her eyes as she felt the cold striking her throat; she remembered wearing a scarf, though... which was hanging cut into two on her chest at that moment. Lowering her shocked gaze, the pain, the feeling of wetness, and the metallic smell of blood were finally apprehended by her brain and the woman fell on her knees, then finally laid on the ground.

Mary frowned, staring at her lifeless body with her silver eyes, stained by cold ruby streaks.

\- As if you weren't any worse... - she whispered; her lips bent bitterly on that thoughtful expression, where the shadow of the discomfort she had experienced a few seconds before persisted.

She was a bit relieved: the encounter hadn't become a long battle, the Mukami brothers weren't injured and she... was physically intact (because in the meantime those few injuries had been healed), but not spiritually: the remorse was already surfacing, overwhelming and just at the same time.

Before she could allow other thoughts to obliterate her mind, Ruki's voice brought her back into reality.

\- _Let's go_.

The girl turned to him, impassive; she nodded and, retrieving her sadly flattened bags (hoping that at least her new clothes and the chocolate were saved), followed the four Mukami brothers, unaware of their expressions: the oldest was as curious as ever; more than all the others, Kou was confused by the conversation between the witch and the huntress; Azusa, delighted, was already planning something to make her angry and get hurt ( _ahem_...); Yuuma didn't know whether to be worried or not.

 _After all, their prey had just killed a huntress in front of them without moving a finger_.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading~ I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**


	8. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7_

When Mary opened her eyes, her first sarcastic thought was: _I'm sleeping in the room "kindly" offered by the Mukami's; such happiness..._

As soon as she looked at the clock hanging on the wall, showing that it was half past twelve (in the noon, of course), the second thought was: _I wish three months of dysentery to all those who can sleep so decently than even Sleeping Beauty is envious of them_.

The poor girl had woken up six hours before the usual time, but at least the usual nightmares had not persecuted her; grumbling, she turned around her blankets, clutching herself in the aquamarine sweatshirt she thought being really comfortable, until she heard a choked laugh, followed by rumpling of cloths and noises of moving objects.

She jerked up, turning her gaze to the closet.

\- _Yuuma-kun_?

 _Ah right, Ruki had assigned him the task of recovering my "personal belongings", as he says... but why at this hour?,_ she pondered in her head and raised an eyebrow, puzzled.

\- Ah, _mesubuta_! – the tall guy exclaimed, turning to her with a mischievous grin on his face, not very promising: Mary blushed, trembling with shame and anger in seeing _which particular garments_ those huge hands were holding.

 _And who would be the pig, here?_

The girl got up in a hurry and went towards the vampire, who was trying not to laugh too loudly until he was near to swear when she hit him in the shin with a powerful kick.

\- ARGH, _what the fuck_?! - he shouted, trying to keep the volume as low as possible while she was tearing her underwear off his fingers and quickly placing it in one of the cabinet's inner drawers - What's wrong with you, _mesubuta_?! - he hissed, gritting his teeth, grabbing her arm and pulling it.

The girl looked at him surly, and before she could talk back, the young man had already changed topic as he noticed something:

\- And why is your hair _still white_? - He murmured, perplexed.

She blinked, rewinding the tape and listening carefully to the question; she raised her free hand to grab a lock of hers; it was still as white as snow, indeed. Mary let out a tired sigh and explained that probably her powers hadn't yet been completely restored; she noticed the vampire's questioning look who had frowned and she bit her lips in search of the simplest words to make it clearer.

\- When I use too much of my powers or special abilities, I can't use it anymore for some time... because they have limits... and also side effects, sometimes - she murmured, interrupting herself several times to be exhaustive.

Yuuma stared at her for a long time, before shrugging and rubbing his neck.

\- Huff, nothing important - he frowned, bending his head closer to her face - Rather, didn't we have _a sip on hold_? - He said, grinning as he clutched her wrist.

The girl gave him a confused look before blinking and recalling what he meant, and nodded quietly; the vampire tilted his head, astonished, saying that she had accepted it without too much trouble. Mary replied that she was there for that purpose, after all.

\- Eeeh, _iiko(_ 1), _iiko_ \- the giant smirked, ruffling her hair; in his heart he was a little disappointed, because a rebellious attitude excited him and made things more lively.

The girl puckered her lips slightly annoyed: she didn't really like the contact between that still foreign hand and her hair, so she grabbed it to move it away.

Then, she stared at the young man seriously and a bit threateningly:

\- Let's make it clear: _I won't hesitate_ to stop you _in my own way_ , in case I'll feel I'm in danger or in a bad mood.

Facing such determination, Yuuma fell silent for a few seconds, before bursting into a loud laughter. Suddenly he lifted her on his shoulder, almost ignoring the intimidation, and the girl squealed; ignoring her complaints, the vampire walked over to the desk next to the bed, and let her sit a little abruptly on the wooden surface.

Mary whined because of the impact on the furniture and the wall, and looked up at the vampire: her eyes widened, realizing how huge and intimidating he was up close and, hadn't it been for the grin printed on his face, she would have willingly mistaken him for a giant plush bear to snuggle (how adorable); however, she returned to reality as soon as the young man put his hands to each side of her to prevent her from escaping.

He approached his nose to her neck, breathing deeply, and let out an embarrassing groan of appreciation and, after tasting her skin with his tongue (it is still unknown the purpose of this attitude: just the smell is enough to a vampire to have a taste...), he aggressively sank his teeth into her flesh.

Mary muffled her mouth, choking a scream of pain just in time.

 _Shuu, I've found you a worthy rival for "Mr More Painful Bite"... Sigh..._

Thinking about the handsome blond distracted her: with melancholy she wondered how he had reacted to her absence, at the Sakamaki's mansion; indeed, knowing him... he _was worried_ about her, _right_? The doubt demoralized her a little, considering how unfortunate she was in romantic relationships and how much unfortunate were also those who were involved (with a dead womanizer and an irascible friendzoned vampire...): another weight of depression to torment her.

Maybe she should have stopped thinking so much.

\- Oi, _mesubuta_.

The young man drew her attention, getting off her shoulder ( _when did he bite it?)_ and loosening the grip on her hips ( _when did his arms move there?);_ a bit of blood dripped from his chin, and his brown eyes reflected in her darker ones: he seemed somewhat absorbed.

\- _Ano Niito(_ 2)... - he hesitated a moment, as she reasoned that he was probably referring to the blond ( _what a coincidence_ ); the girl was sure he had just changed the question to ask her, judging by his sudden ironic grimace - Hahaha, is he your _lover_?

Mary's eye twitched and she blushed violently, stammering nonsense.

\- _E-EH_?! - she squealed, only to have her mouth muffled by his big hand.

\- _Don't scream_ , _baka(_ 3)! When I went to pick up your stuff, that guy was sleeping in your bed...

Mary facepalmed, watched by the amused vampire: she didn't know whether to be more embarrassed or irritated.

* * *

Ruki was preparing tea in the kitchen, pondering in his head about the words he would have used to scold Yuuma and the witch as soon as they got there: anyone would have woken up with all the fuss they had caused after midday; he thought he had even heard Kou's muffled laughs (actually, maybe he would have also lectured the young idol).

And, _furthermore_ , his brown-haired brother shouldn't have bitten her.

 _Rather, half witch_ , the vampire corrected himself, looking from the kitchen's window the vast garden; usually, the giant would have never allowed anyone to touch his precious and sacred garden, or at least not without his vigilant eyes and having first taught how to cure the planted vegetables.

Yet there he was with her, as they were handling some stuff in front of the pumpkins' corner.

 _I hope she doesn't plan to come to school with that hair_ , Ruki thought seriously, exhaling; it wouldn't have been easy to explain how dark hair had become white and, in a short while, had returned to its original colour. Hair dye? Forbidden by the school's rules; it was already a miracle that they hadn't questioned Kou's hair ( _obviously_ those insects of the Sakamaki brothers had avoided it for their father's influence, _of course_ ).

He was arranging the tea service on a tray, when Azusa suddenly spoke to him:

\- Ne, Ruki...

The greyish blue-eyed vampire swallowed; at this point he was used to the unexpected appearances of his youngest brother, or at least managed to maintain his composure: Kou and Yuuma would still get a fright and jump.

\- _It's not fair... that Yuuma has already drank from Izanami_...

Ruki sighed, resting a hand on his hip, and with the other brushing his hair off his forehead, and nodded that he agreed; Azusa smiled happily and grabbed the tray to take it to the living room, not after having touched the hot pot _to check if it was really hot_ (the best excuse to cover the need to get burnt pleasantly, good boy Azusa).

At the same time, from the door leading to the garden, Mary and Yuuma entered, the first holding a basket with tomatoes and the latter a pumpkin.

\- Ah, Ruki - the giant turned to him with nonchalance, putting the vegetable on the table - this is ripe, you can make the soup for dinner - he said as he caressed its surface with a certain affection. The girl looked at him arching an eyebrow, before greeting the other.

\- Good evening, Ruki-san. I hope you have rested well.

\- Not exactly; I wanted to talk to you about _this very matter_ \- Ruki said, smiling glacially; Yuuma scratched his head, very tense, and the girl took on an impassive expression to cover the goosebumps - About this morning...

The vampire raised his eyebrows, staring at a spot on her shoulder.

\- What is _that_ , _exactly_?

\- It's a sprite - she said quietly, without getting agitated.

\- In the shape of a _hamster_? - the vampire crossed his arms.

\- Certainly - she confirmed; _as if, it's daily routine finding a rodent comfortably seated on the shoulder of a girl who has just moved to your place_ , she thought sarcastically in her head.

\- Ah, th-that's right! - Yuuma broke in, obviously agitated – Do you remember there were demonic entities where I planted the pumpkins? _Mesubuta_ told me that they're usually attracted by the presence of spirits that have to be "purified"! Right? - he nodded to Mary after rubbing his neck in panic.

She nodded, adding that, once "purified", the sprite was to assume a certain aspect, capable of removing malignant entities or negative influences; actually, she had used very simple terms, having realized how much the giant struggled in understanding big words.

The girl touched with her index finger the small creature's ear, which emitted a faint happy sound.

\- Mh... it's cute...

Mary made a jump like she had never done during physical education lessons, bumping into the table, and the hamster hided in her shirt; the basket full of tomatoes threatened to fall to the ground, but was promptly held by a no less frightened Yuuma.

\- A-Azusa, _since when are you here_!? - he screeched, looking at the girl, motionless, white as a blanket and with wide eyes; Ruki sighed for the umpteenth time, massaging his forehead and wondering if he was nearing the day when he would have exceed the limit of his patience.

\- I've always been here ... - his younger brother simply answered, as he moved his finger to his mouth, deep in thought; his gaze immediately returned to the girl and he smiled, then approached her worried - Izanami... did I... scared you...? I'm sorry...

Yuuma snapped his fingers in front of the girl's face after thirty seconds, during which Azusa had slipped his arms around hers, and finally the witch shook her head, recovering from the shock; she glanced at the young man in front of her.

\- Why didn't I perceive your presence...? - she murmured, talking to herself.

The vampire tilted his head, questioningly, and the giant raised an eyebrow, puzzled, before grasping the basket with the tomatoes and putting them next to the sink to rinse them, muttering to himself that he had seen too much strange things: he had a point, with what had happened the evening before and the conversation held with her hours before and the process by which she had freed the sprite from his "impure" condition. Yeah, for that day it was enough.

\- For example, I know there's Kou-kun in the kitchen, behind me...

\- EH! Neko-chan, how did you see me?

Ruki narrowed his eyes, holding his fist in front of his lips, and curiously watched the girl being surrounded by his brothers, Azusa evidently attracted by her person, Yuuma grumbling for all the things he was discovering, Kou pestering her with lots of questions (and only a few of them were appropriate and smart).

Izanami was quite interesting, being a hybrid; she was polite and clever, rational (or at least he realized that her thoughts were well-founded, albeit weird) and quiet: a quality that he appreciated a lot.

They weren't going to have too much troubles. _Right_?

* * *

 **Thanks for reading~ I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**

(1) Iiko: Good girl

(2) Ano Niito: That Neet

(3) Baka: stupid


	9. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8_

Thank God her hair had got back to its original colour just before leaving.

Mary hadn't spoken throughout the whole ride on the limousine to school, except to kindly ask Azusa not to be too attached to her (she couldn't still understand why the young man was so fascinated by her); she had silently silently observed the Mukami brothers interacting fraternally with each other: it was a bit odd to her, almost an mirage, since she was used to the hostile vibes usually ruling among the Sakamaki's.

In particular, her gaze had lingered several times on Yuuma: although she had given up on talking with Shuu, within herself the yearning to know about his past persevered; however, the giant had never shown any sign of recognizing the blond figure in any way, and the girl had no idea how she could have approached him about that matter.

Once at school, they split, Yuuma and Azusa in one direction, Kou in another; the girl and Ruki went to their own class, climbing the stairs.

\- You seem rather interested in Yuuma, or am I wrong? - he asked at one point, always showing off that ironic and at the same time enigmatic smirk; she stopped, turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow and her lips tightened in a grimace.

\- Don't think I didn't notice your constant glances at him - the vampire said, tilting his head and staring at her with a mocking light in his eyes.

Mary massaged the joint between her nose and forehead, muttering incomprehensible phrases, and decided to ignore him, resuming her steps.

 _Ruki is a jerk, simple as that. With this, too..._

She suddenly stopped, as they reached the top floor, and Ruki released an amused puff, in front of a quite angry Reiji, aiming to burn down the girl with his glare.

\- No - Mary said before the spectacled vampire could even open his mouth (he had already taken one step ahead, fixed his glasses and crossed his arms) – As much as it was bad of me not warning you in time, I won't allow you to criticize me: it was your father who decided my transfer, apparently – she gave a quick glance at the vampire beside her, who was looking at her interestedly and with an almost pleased expression at the other vampire's shocked face.

Reii trembled nervously for a brief moment, then sighed with annoyance and, clenching his teeth, nodded:

\- All right.

He turned tail and headed for the classroom.

 _I'm already in a bad mood, great_ , the girl thought, rubbing her neck and proceeding in the same direction; if Reiji had reacted in that way, what about the other brothers...?

\- Ruki-san. Stop smirking like that, _please_ , you're extremely irritating.

\- I think I've already told you I don't get orders from you, _Kachiku_.

\- _Ka_... _chiku_?

 _What's with this nickname mania? Is it a trend among vampires...?_

* * *

\- Mary-senpai!

\- Oh, what a joy to see you again!

The two girls hugged tightly, as if they hadn't seen each other for months; they sat on the usual bench, the blonde with her currant juice, smiling cheerfully, and Mary with her can of lemon tea, crossing her exhausted legs.

As soon as Yui asked her why she had moved to the Mukami's, a little shyly because she didn't want to be too much indiscreet, she explained her that it was the Sakamaki's father's wish, which he first had proposed her to become a blood supply for the six brothers in exchange for room and board. She then reassured her not to worry about her, that everything was going to be fine.

\- Did you have any problems? - the witch asked, after drinking a sip of tea.

\- No - the girl replied, shaking her head thoughtfully – I didn't, but, Laito-kun... I think his night-time convulsions are getting worse. _He cries_.

The drink's container dropped to the ground with a metallic sound followed by the one of the liquid pouring out; the brown-haired girl turned to look at her, shocked.

 _Laito never cried_.

Stretching apart her knees, she rested her elbows them and hid her face in her hands, sighing; she considered that at that point it would have been better to consult Ari-sensei directly, but would Ruki have been willing to accompany her to her former teacher?

Yui, noting that her friend's mood had just been thrown by a tower, decided to change the subject, though not knowing exactly what to talk about: perhaps the Sakamaki's reacting to her absence? She told her how Ayato hadn't care at all (he had had a much more important task, that was catching his girlfriend's attention); Kanato had looked slightly dull, probably because he needed some advice to sew his damn plush toys; Reiji had been locked in his room to calm his nerves, and she didn't know whether it was because of the half-witch, half-demon's _insolence_ in not coming back or because of having _foolishly_ _allowed_ her a pair of hours' freedom; Shuu had waited for her while sleeping in her bedroom (and before leaving for school, she thought she had heard him talking to Reiji of _some intruder_...); at last, Subaru...

 _Oh my God, Subaru-kun!_ , Yui thought terrified, realizing that she had forgotten a not negligible detail: _the albino's very bad mood_.

\- Mary-senpai! – she called her, while the half with arched an eyebrow at the friend's anxious tone, questioningly.

It was too late at that point; the very vampire was quickly heading towards them with a glare full of hatred. Following the blonde's gaze, Mary turned around, realizing there was a ferocious Subaru who was approaching them; and the cause of his anger (or _jealousy_?) was likely herself.

A few metres behind, she saw the Mukami brothers stop and observe the scene, curious, especially Kou, who would have gladly enjoyed the show, had he had a comfortable seat to sit on and popcorn to snack on; this had been the brown-haired girl's vision, as she swallowed and stood up to face courageously the erupting volcano vampire.

 _I'm afraid I'll get a broken bone._

\- Subarucchi...

She should have never pronounced it.

A second later, she knew she was with her back on the floor, touching her aching face, grumbling non-sense words; in the meanwhile, Yui had put herself between the two, begging the vampire not to go any further and calling her friend, greatly worried: she didn't like at all that _cracking sound_ she had heard.

Yuuma was staring at them astonished, ignoring Azusa murmuring his envy of Izanami's pain; impressed, Kou commented he thought he had heard a terrible noise ,like something that had been broken; Ruki narrowed his eyes whispering how unpleasant that sight had been.

Mary stood slowly on her feet, and with a gesture of her hand, she _fixed up_ the nasal bone that had been broken, and was slightly compound, after the impact with the albino's fist; Yui paled considerably and slumped again on the bench, shivering in front of the cold-blooded girl who was no longer showing any pain. Actually, her face had a somewhat annoyed expression, if not grim.

\- Seriously, Subaru? - she said with a very low voice; Yui felt like shrinking and wished she was in class with her Ayato rather than there.

\- You're lucky that I didn't rip your head off, I did warn no to cal... - he aggressively replied, shaking his fist in her direction. He was furious: he had _given up on her_ , _reluctantly_ accepted she had chosen _Shuu_ ; but he couldn't tolerate seeing her with _those four_. _Over his dead body_.

\- _Seriously_?

The umpteenth second later Subaru was lying on the ground, hurled a few metres away from where the Mukami were standing; Yuuma widened his eyes, even more upset than before, mumbling that everyone was out of their mind that day, while Kou reminded him that he was also a pretty quick to violence guy himself.

 _By chance_ , there were no other students in the surroundings witnessing what had just happened; Yui wondered if it wasn't a natural skill of non-human creatures to have no unwelcome bystanders in such circumstances.

\- _Subaru_ \- Mary's cold and sharp voice went on as she approached him, snapping her index finger first, - _do not provoke a witch_ \- then the middle finger, - _even worse if it's a hybrid_ \- the ring finger, - _if you do not want any trouble_.

At last, the little finger; and her silver eyes flashed, warning the albino, not furious, not offended: sad. Because she did understand Subaru's feelings; because deeply inside, she felt that she had perhaps made the wrong choices again; because she was starting to feel fed up with all those burdens that were falling on her and suppressing her mood.

 _She was tired_.

The vampire on the ground stared at her without replying and didn't show any particularly altered expression; suddenly he too felt somewhat worn-out and walked away after getting up, reacting with a grunt to Kou commenting that, hadn't it been for Ruki, he would have followed him to annoy him.

The bell rang.

\- Mary-senpai, are you ok?! - the blonde ran to her, anxiously, examining her face, horribly dirty with blood and mucus, and with a clean handkerchief she got closer to clean it.

The girl stepped aside, gently grabbing her arm.

\- Don't worry, I'll see to it by myself. Go back to class - Mary told her in a gentle tone that didn't let in any objection at the same time; after staring at her for a long time, not very convinced, Yui lowered her head, slightly dejected, and ran heading for her class.

\- _Ew_ \- Kou looked disgusted at the state of her face, suddenly close to her; there was still an ironic and provocative tone in his voice – You're quite beaten-up, ne~? Hahaha...

Mary ignored him, unknowingly gaining a dirty look from the blond and a pleased grimace from Yuuma, and turned to Ruki.

\- Ruki-san, I'll be in the infirmary. Would you mind inform the teacher for me, _please_?

She didn't wait for his answer; she was already on her way to the infirmary, not before having loudly slapped Azusa, who, curious and excited, had touched her face.

Which left the Mukami brothers open-mouthed, who for a reason, who for another.

* * *

\- Hmm...

Mark switched song with his his mp3 player.

\- _Aneki_...

* * *

 **Thanks for reading~ I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**

"Kachiku" means "livestock".

"Aneki" means "big sister".


	10. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9_

 _The sky is clear tonight too. I can't hear the clouds whispering._

 _Mh._

 _The stars... I hear them exclaim, they're always so cheerful._

She fell silent.

 _Aneki, how long haven't you been looking at the stars?_

She turned and curled up in a fetal position, under the blankets.

 _You who can see them... Look at them._

She sobbed.

 _Aneki..._

\- _Oya_ , are you not feeling well?

Mary wiped her tears with the sheets, before freeing herself from the wrapping she had hidden in while she was resting, and with eyes slightly bothered by the light she looked at the nurse, who was peering out from behind the curtain.

\- I think it's just exhaustion, nothing... serious...? – the girl curled her lips and stared at the young man who had approached her to examine her. He had long, light hair tied up in a low tail, wearing elegant rectangular glasses, a burgundy waistcoat and had a reassuring expression on his face.

If it hadn't been for that _very familiar smile_.

\- Is there any problem? - he asked, worried, tilting his face and holding a hand to his chin, noticed the student's strange grimace, who in the meantime had raised an index to him.

\- _Karlheinz-san_?

Silence.

The nurse stepped back, turned and went back to his desk to fill in the register; he asked her name, surname, class, reason for her presence in the infirmary, time and any treatment done; the ignored girl perceived another nervous crisis threatening to overcome her.

She hurriedly got up and reached him.

\- I've already completed the form, you just need to countersign! What are you doing here? - she asked frantically, placing her hands on the wooden surface where the man was browsing the register.

\- Oh, really? It's diligent of you, Flyer-san. If all the students were like you!

\- _Answer my question_!

The medicine cabinets' glass cracked; at last the nurse's ochre eyes met the half-witch's silver ones, red-faced but still firm and composed.

\- Don't I have the right to profess this job, Flyer-san?

Mary fervently wished to pierce his face with the scissors contained in one of the desk's drawers, wrap his hair with the adhesive tape and hang him to some street light near the school; she realized at the same moment that her thoughts were somewhat macabre, caused by murderous instinct. To think that until a few days she was shyly cuddling in the arms of a certain blond with ocean-coloured eyes...

\- I didn't say this! - she replied, trying to keep calm; she rubbed her forehead, sighing - Why cause all of this with the Mukami, if you could have personally told me and settle everything in a civil way?

Truthfully, she wanted to discuss much more; but her instinct wisely advised her to stop: the vibes coming from the man weren't good, oddly different from the first time she had met him, that night at the inn.

Then, she remembered the recent meeting between him and his six sons.

\- What do you want from _us_...?

\- _Curiosity killed the cat_ , I would like to remind you, Mary Flyer - the vampire's cold and low voice came to her ear as a warning, so the girl fell silent.

She kept quiet only that night: she wasn't strong enough to stand against him; however, she wouldn't have hesitate to face him in the future. She was wary of the Vampire King.

She left the infirmary; and her bad mood hadn't improved for sure.

* * *

Perhaps, not everything was going wrong that day: Ruki had proved willing to accompany her to Ari-sensei, beyond any expectation; Mary had almost reconsidered him, if he himself had not specified with _that so despised smirk_ that they _obviously_ would have kept an eye on her. In addition, she imagined he was interested in the man's place, after all the vampire's figure reminded her of the intellectual kind of guy.

 _Which wasn't that different about her_...

Before she could have shuddered at that comparison, the half-witch move forward in the narrow alley, ignoring the poor Yuuma's complaints (he discovered that his height was an obstacle in certain situations) and his idol brother's laughs; Mary tried to suppress a grin in seeing the oldest Mukami's annoyed grimace, once realized he really had to _crawl_ in that alley in order to proceed.

Azusa had nothing to whine about: although they had the same stature, the young man had a very fine physical constitution compared with hers (who was deeply ashamed of that chubby layer that for years she had been trying to remove with a diet not too rich of carbohydrates and various junk food - but in vain...), so he didn't have any problems.

Maybe he would have preferred to have them...

As soon as they came out of the eerie alley, Mary saw two red-haired heads from the stairs leading to the entrance in the subsoil and recognized the two girls who were coming up: Mai and Rai Calling, the twenty-seven-year-old twins who delivered letters from the city where they lived throughout Japan and vice versa.

\- Oooh! - the two said in unison as they realized the presence of their _kohai_ \- Cho-hime~!

They looked at each other with their almond-shaped eyes before approaching the group, greeting the four vampires with a polite nod; Kou looked interested in the little hat covered with colourful feathers that both of them were wearing sideway, evoking the print of their laced and over-knee-length suits, while Ruki listened attentively to the dialogue between the three witches. Yuuma, masking his expression, glanced up at the twin's cleavage... and Azusa looked at him questioningly, innocent, not realizing what was drawing his interest so much.

\- It's been a while, Mary-chan~! How are you doing? - they asked in tune with each other, each holding a hand on the girl's shoulders; Kou wondered if they were singers, since their voices were incredibly clear and intoned.

\- _I could be doing better_ \- she said frankly, impassive - Ari-sensei?

The twins exchanged an understanding gaze, grinning.

\- Apparently he's in a bad mood because he met a _certain_ person...

 _It wouldn't have been that man...?,_ the half-demon thought, remembering what had happened in the infirmary.

\- Thus... _good luck_! – they concluded, each of them grabbing a pendant hanging on their leather belts - _Bye bye_ , Cho-hime~! – and they disappeared.

Mary rubbed the back of her neck, wondering to herself why those twin sisters had the vice to leave in that way, whenever you would cross paths with them; she shook her head and headed to the stairs, noticing Minocchi's absence.

She heard voices coming from the underground room and she entered with caution; she was almost forgetting that there were the Mukami's behind her.

She looked around, realizing the change in the furniture and objects' arrangement, and her eyes finally spotted Ari-sensei, who was discussing seriously with a woman with dark green dyed hair and matching long nails.

\- Elena-sensei? - she called her, approaching her gradually, followed by the four vampires who were looking at the surroundings: Kou was captured by the vibrancy of the colours of dusts, bottles and various undefined objects; Azusa stared at some daggers in a small showcase; Yuuma touched some flowers on a long table in their own labelled pots; Ruki smiled as his gaze paused over several bookcases.

The woman flinched and her green eyes fell on her former patient; she had looked after Mary at the time of the _Miriandola Bluetta_ 's accident.

\- Mary-chan ... I see you well - she smiled; she wasn't the type to show too much emotions, but in truth she was sincerely happy to see her again.

\- Ah... Cho-hime... - Mr Ari murmured, finally aware of her presence; he seemed lost in his thoughts, and that sullen expression he often displayed was more intense than usual - Right, you had written to me about Laito-kun...

The man kept on mumbling, heading towards a table where a burner was heating a transparent container filled with a scarlet liquid; the ex-pupil stared at him perplexed, then questioningly looked at the doctor. The latter sighed, explaining her that recently he had been busy meeting people in order to solve or seek solutions to several issues.

\- There have been a lot of hunters, lately... in this area, I mean - Elena said, holding a hand to her cheek, deep in thought – It seems there have been some controversies in the Demon World, too.

 _Fantastic. No, wait..._

\- That means... _Okaa-san_ , is she coming back?

The woman fell silent at the girl's hopeful question.

\- No - the ex-teacher said in her place, turning off the stove and pouring the hot liquid into a beaker – It's because there were problems _in that location_ , that she must still stay for a while. Cho-hime...

The man turned and peered at the four vampires.

\- Why are you with Karlheinz's adopted sons?

\- Eh? _Foster sons_?

Mary turned to the boys, eyes wide ope: Ruki smirked, nodding; she facepalmed, suffocating a grunt under Kou and Yuuma's snickering eyes, and told the man she didn't want to talk about it.

Suddenly Elena informed that she had to leave and bid farewell, hurrying to the exit; Ari-sensei stared at her, gloomy, before moving his eyes to the ex-pupil and asking her if she was in any way responsible for the death of a huntress that had happened the night before: the girl clenched her lips, confirming with a fearful nod.

\- Don't regret it, you see - the man said, surprising her; she was really expecting to be scolded by him, but soon her thoughts were discarded by the following words - That woman had killed Minocchi.

Mary bit her lips and felt a wave of hatred threatening to overwhelm her; she didn't express the usual condolences to her ex-teacher: she knew how much he disliked such formalities, therefore, holding back the knot in her throat, she decided to get to the point of her visit.

\- Do you know what could Laito-kun be suffering from, Ari-sensei? - she asked, following him with the vampires behind her as the man headed to another bench to macerate cobalt blue leaves.

\- Something like Claire, I think.

Mary reflected a few moments before scowling. After all... _after all_ , _they both had had similar experiences_ , _didn't they_? She had preferred not to think about it, but in the end the cause probably resided in the vampire's past...

\- So are you preparing that medicine to calm the brain cells down...?

\- Hm. His thoughts will be reorganized and will re-acquire self-consciousness; of course, keep in mind that the side effects are the loss of his life's most recent moments, so he could even forget about you - he warned her; the girl sighed, whispering that she knew.

Mr Ari informed her that he still needed ten minutes before the medicine got ready and asked her to fix the computer in the room next to the bookstand, in the meantime, pointing at it with a dropper.

Mary nodded, slightly annoyed by the request, apologized to the Mukami and left.

\- AND DON'T PRY INTO THE LOCKED FILES! - the man screamed before turning to the vampires - If you want to wander around my place, there is no problem. Just be careful not to touch anything but the books, though... - he grumbled, returning to his job.

Aptly, Ruki was already standing in front of the shelves, looking for some interesting volumes; without being noticed, Kou snorted, annoyed by Mr Ari's misanthropic attitude, and roamed among the benches, staring at a container on top of a closet; Yuuma stroked some pale petals belonging to a strange red flower, reading the tag hanging from a leaf; Azusa bit his index, staring at a showcase containing two _katana_ with a singular hilt.

The blond observed the celestial sparkling liquid of the bottle and stretched out his hand to grab it: he didn't know what it was, but something made him want to grasp it; too bad that he wasn't tall enough to get it with his hand. He didn't see any chairs or furniture suitable for the task, so he called Yuuma, who approached him unwillingly after leaving those so fascinating plants reluctantly.

\- What do you want? - he snapped, obviously annoyed, clicking his tongue.

\- Yuuma-kun~ pull that little bottle down for me~? - Kou asked, smiling disdainfully, while Ruki's doubtful eyes gazed at them, Azusa being also curious. The giant made a resentful grimace:

\- Huh?! Bullshit, Kou, he clearly said that not to touch his stuff! Go read some books...

\- Yuuma-kun! Don't be stupid, I hate books! – Kou dryly replied, as Ruki approached them with a serious look - Come on, I just want to see what's written on the label! I'll give you back the sugar cubes I stole...

\- Oi, Kou, Yuuma... - the older brother called them, expecting the worst; Azusa had in the meantime raised his hands, aiming to calm them down invain.

\- HAH?! YOU TOUCHE MY PRECIOUS SUGAR-CHAN?! –the giant yelled aggressively, slamming a hand against the closet.

They heard something tinkling and the four of them looked up.

\- Eh? - they exclaimed in unison, seeing the bottle so yearned for by the blond swaying and finally falling on them.

\- Ari-sensei, I've fixed the computer...

Mary dropped her arms along her hips. Her eyes widened at the sight of four vaguely familiar children sitting in front of the table where the ex-teacher was pouring the ready-to-use milky liquid into three containers. The black-haired one had a scary look on his face; the blond smiled furiously, slapped at his head by the brown-haired one, plainly furious; the tiny one stared at her insistently with his lavender eyes.

\- Uhm - he muttered, closing the three flasks with hands trembling out of nervousness, not knowing how to tell her - You know what happens when you're being _curious_...

\- I. Demand. A. More. Accurate. Explanation. _NOW_.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading~ I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**

 _Okaa-san_ means "mother"; oh, and _kohai_ is a Japanese term for the underclass people.


	11. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10_

Mary was sitting on an armchair, legs stretched out and elbows resting on them, her face tilted downwards and hidden by her hands; she was breathing slowly, trying to appease the umpteenth nervous crisis threatening to manifest itself anytime.

Ari-sensei had explained that the potion's effect would have lasted for no more than three days, and that the four brothers had only experienced changes on a physical level; after double-checking the state of the medicine contained in the three phials and having annoyingly looked at the vampires (frowning at seeing Ruki, so dark that shadows seemed pale in comparison), he turned to his former student with a grumble:

\- _I_ will deliver the medicines for Laito-kun - he snorted; after a few seconds of reflection, he headed to a desk, digging several cards stacked in a basket until he took out an ivory envelope with the addresses written in golden ink; Mary, following his movements with tired eyes, felt slightly reinvigorated, recognizing the letter that was immediately delivered to her.

\- This is from your mother... _If I were you, I'd wait to be happy about it_.

The girl tightened her lips and instinctively her gaze shifted to the Mukami's: Kou tilted his head, smiling questioningly – since he was smaller, it seemed _a little less_ false - the others didn't notice, distracted; that letter would have confirmed whether or not Karlheinz's objective was valid, thus influencing her future and the relationship between her and both the Sakamaki and Mukami families.

She sighed, standing up, and with a gentle nod she bid farewell to her ex-teacher, then approached the four brothers, not knowing whether to lower herself to be at their eye level or avoid their irritated reaction; even watching them from above didn't sound good...

\- Ruki-san?

Mary swallowed as he turned his head to her with a slow and disturbing movement, glaring at her so much that he could have scared thunders off.

\- I'm done, we may go...

Before she could add anything else, the little vampire stood up and, surpassing her, headed outwards, turning his bad mood in total coldness; the girl, ignoring the fact that Ruki's height reached half of her arm, followed him with an indecisive glance: that situation was putting her in difficulty.

* * *

Of course she couldn't help it but name the hamster-sprite: " _Freckle_ "; and this appellative confirmed that fame as a genius with creative ideas that had been attributed to her since the beginning of her school life. The little creature was teasingly biting her fingers, comfortably sitting on the inner windowsill, as she watched thoughtfully the courtyard from the kitchen's window, illuminated by the lampposts beside the cobblestoned pavement: Yuuma was taking care of the garden as usual and didn't look tired to her; after all, his height reached over her shoulders and he was much stronger than his brothers.

In comparison, the _big boy_ was doing just fine even if he had suddenly shrunken.

Sh observed him for a long time; the more her eyes focused on his face, his gestures, his body, the more she felt like Yuuma had something _very familiar_ ; she recalled, when she had been wandering around the rooms in her family house, the photo of her father as a young boy and how much the cut of his eyes was like Yuuma's...

Suddenly, a gentle grip on her hips made her jump; she stifled a scream of fright in time with her hand and, turning around, met a pair of lavender eyes. The vampire was a little taller than her elbow's level and was wearing a kind of small cloak; actually, she recognized the blanket he was used to sleep in, glimpsed at as she was passing his room that morning.

\- A-Azusa-kun... - she sighed, placing her hand on her chest as if to prevent her heart to break through, and gave him a disapproving look.

\- _Izanami_... you look a little... disheartened...

 _Was it so obvious_? Mary frowned and, choosing the "minor" problem, admitted with a murmur she was having some difficulty behaving with them, fearing to treat them spontaneously as children and then humiliate them; in the meantime, while remaining with her hands _grasped_ in his, she had gently loosened Azusa's grip, who had listened carefully to her, gazing at the hair locks framing her face.

\- I have no... problem... if you humiliate me...

A wave of frost seemed to envelop her; _Ari-sensei was right, they only changed in the physical sense_ , the girl thought, taking on an exasperated expression.

\- I didn't mean _that_...

And as Azusa gave her the questioning look (with those childish features!), Ruki came in the kitchen, stopping in front of the cabinet where some tools and pots were placed. And he scowled as he looked up to the shelf of pots, too high to reach.

 _He can't get there... and using a chair would be an outrage to his pride...,_ Mary bit her lip, suffocating a laugh; her impassive face didn't betray her when the eldest of the Mukami brothers turned to her.

\- _Kachiku_ , take the second pot on the top right: you'll prepare the meat.

Mary had to use three quarters of her strength to suppress the laughter caused by being called in such way and being entrusted with tasks so seriously by the little vampire; she proceeded as requested, and as she put the pot on the shelf next to the burner, she looked for the meat package in the fridge to prepare meatballs, as promptly indicated. Freckle had clung to her shirt and climbed on her shoulder, sitting down; Azusa had disappeared.

While preparing the meal, Mary had risked several times to help Ruki in circumstances that wouldn't have required it, if the accident at Mr Ari's hadn't happened. The third time, as the little boy couldn't reach the wall where soup spoons were hanged, the girl had given him the tool very naturally, without realizing anything, being so absorbed.

At first, holding the tool in hand, Ruki had stared at it, then turned his gaze to the female figure who had gone back to marinate the meat; he flushed violently, perhaps because of his wounded pride, or out of embarrassment, or irritation, or a whole set of emotions; finally, in a dark tone, he uttered the following words:

\- _I did not ask for your help and I do not need it_.

The girl stiffened, pondering. She knew that the pride of those vampires was something intangible, especially in Ruki's case; but wasn't it... exaggerated and absurd to refuse help, given the situation?

 _Why do some people think of being helped as something negative. If it is necessary..._ , at this point, the girl had already forgotten the vampire and his warning, and she was thinking silently, angering the young man a little; the latter returned to his business, muttering that he would have punished her properly with the ceased potion's effect.

\- Ah. Do you have some rosemary? - Mary asked after a few minutes before turning on the fire and cooking the meat.

\- Ask Yuuma in the garden - Ruki answered coldly, turning off the cooker after checking that the pasta was cooked.

The girl stuck her tongue out unknowingly, imitated by the hamster, and went out, thinking that even a hundred chamomiles wouldn't have relaxed her; the vampire was alone in the kitchen and he inspected the surroundings.

From the outside, his position wasn't visible; from the top floor he heard Kou's music, sign that he was busy; Azusa wasn't nearby, but he wouldn't have shown himself before dinner. Breathing deeply, he moved a chair and placed it in front of the open cupboard.

He had told her: he didn't need any help, he would have made do. _In the right way_...

Unfortunately, the chair (or some evil spirits...?) didn't like him; as soon as he reached out to grab the colander's handle, he felt his balance slipping and fell to the side... but, the collision was ( _much_ ) softer than expected.

In fact, Mary had come back in time to get him in her arms, though she still had fallen on the floor, her head and back a little sore. She leaned onto her elbow to slowly raise her torso, without realizing that Freckle had been accidentally crushed under her weight (not that a sprite could have been hurt...).

\- _Daijoubu_ , Ruki-san?

Ruki didn't answer: his attention had been caught by the girl's heartbeats, since he had his head against her chest. How long had it been since the last time he had heard the sound of life _so clearly_ , _so close_...? This thought of his was interrupted by her breath, which he had already had analysed some days before: a _forced_ breath, almost _unnatural_ ; thanks to their proximity, he also noticed some strange gargles.

The poor girl in the meantime was violently blushing; _after all_...

\- Ah! Ruki-kun, this is somewhat _bold_ of you~ Hehe, _are you comfortable_?

The two stood up after a second, dusting their clothes off and returning to their duties, ignoring Kou's smile and his constant complaints about why there were no vongole bianco.

* * *

Mary was used to prefer showering than having a bath for two reasons: it saved water (and also time) and she didn't run the risk of drowning her mind in too many thoughts as her body sank in the hot and comforting water.

That night, however, she filled the bathtub and entered it, tired, lifting her knees and holding her arms in her lap; she leaned her head against the edge and watched the bathtub's surface becoming blue because of her swimsuit's reflection (living with the Sakamaki brothers, she got used to wear one).

She thought about the letter she had carefully put in between the pages of her personal diary, the subject still unknown to her, albeit _perceivable_ ; about Laito who was going to wake up without her and risking to _forget her_ ; about Shuu who wouldn't have been able to sneak into her _bed_ as she slept; at last, her mind wandered back to her past.

* * *

"Thank goodness that little girl is in Ari's care! _Let's hope for the best_..."

"Mary! Calm down. _Have patience_. Patience, calm and concentration. Yes... Yes! See?, you did it!"

"Mr Flyer's daughter is _going out_ with Ryan Plum, you know?, that dear boy with icy blue eyes?"

"I'd let it _grow_ , Mary-chan".

"What a disaster... that little girl... she has a scary power... surely _without her things might have gotten worse_... but... And did you hear? She killed the eldest of the two Mist sisters... the youngest, Isa, has no relative now... "

"Mary-senpaaai! I really _admire_ you! Teach me!"

"She killed Mrs and Mr Turner! She was only eight years old... What a _tragedy_... let's not talk about little Claire..."

"Mary, do you like my new dress? _Daddy_ gave it to me because I was a _good girl_..."

"The brother is _blind_ , poor boy, but he's also not that normal himself... he says he's hearing so many voices, so much noises!"

" _Aneki_ ".

"They're a weird trio... the Flyer twins and the young Theo Blizzard... This boy is always around screaming and smiling! He looks like the Joy in flesh and bone!"

"Cho-hime, that's _great_! You've got the best marks!"

"We were pleased with Mr Ari and now _look_! There's that _obnoxious_ Morten looking after those three! Mrs Lalla's grandson..."

"Oi, Cho-hime, _stop looking at me from up there_ ".

"Morten's sister, Finn... that little girl is _creepy_ , she's everywhere and nobody realizes it!"

"Mary-senpai... watch out for your head... _I told you_..."

"That girl has paid for her _curiosity_! You know she's becoming friends with Anna? Yet she was so disliked by her!"

"What the he... Stop playing with my _braid_ , you're irritating, senpai!"

"Mr Flyer is so antisocial... he looks after his _garden_ and the house, sure, but when he comes here he never talks to anyone!"

"Mary, give me a hand in the garden... Here, _good_ , take those pots".

"The Glass Lady has gone. She left the twins alone with their father, they are still so small... And the daughter has a _strange power_... It would have been better to stay, we need a woman like her to keep her children's powers under control!"

"Mary, Mark... I'm sorry... I'll be back as soon as possible, okay? And I'll introduce you to your _cousins_..."

" _Rose is a traitor_!"

"Maa-ry-chaaan~ Hehehehe~ Do you want me to give you back Ryan's heart? It's still so warm, _warm_... Hahaha... _HAHAHAHAHA_!"

* * *

\- Why are you crying?

Mary widened her eyes and met a pair of blue ones which were staring at her, very close.

Her cry reached every corner of the Mukami's mansion: Azusa jolted as he was polishing his knives, getting some wounds with great joy; Ruki ripped a book he was reading in two pieces before going to bed, this certainly not improving his mood; Yuuma stopped in time to fall of some of his jars containing sugar cubes, sighing out of relief and wondering what else was going to happen before it all came back to normality (what normality?).

\- KOU-KUN! What the hell are you doing here?!

\- Eeeh?! How come, you're wearing a _swimsuit_!? - He exclaimed disappointed, ignoring her. Mary understood how Reiji felt among his brothers.

\- And it's also a whole piece, you're so not attract-...

\- _Stop it_.

Kou found himself looking at the floor. He was hovering at a height of about two metres, supported through some invisible entities by the ankles.

\- WAAAH LET ME GO, _LET ME GO_!

The vampire struggled violently, screaming revenge and curses against the girl who, with a throbbing nerve on her forehead, was staring at him with a dull expression; she rewound the tape in her head and reflected on what he had asked her: why was she crying? She didn't even realized it.

\- _Ne_ \- she began, distracting Kou from his agitation - Do you ever think about the past?

The blond, surprised by that sudden question, hesitated a few seconds before answering; his face took on a bitter expression.

\- Mh. Too many times... - he added, narrowing his eyes and squeezing his fists.

Mary smiled.

\- I agree...

A strange silence wrapped them, before being interrupted by another question of her, more hesitant.

\- Will you tell me a little... about you? About your past? I'll let you down, I promise.

Kou looked at her carefully and then nodded; slowly he felt being dragged down and, once on the ground, he sat cross-legged on the floor, leaning back to the bathtub.

And he began telling their story: at the beginning they were also humans and they had met in an orphanage, where they had experienced inhuman and humiliating experiences.

Ruki was the son of a wealthy couple, used to mistreat the servants (and here Mary snorted!), who then themselves had beaten him up the day his mother had abandoned him and his father had committed suicide because of bankruptcy; Yuuma was a child suffering from amnesia (and here Mary assumed...) and who had survived the gunfire in which the members of the gang he had belonged to had died; Azusa was one of those many children wandering in the streets, doubtful about the sense of his existence, until three little robbers had taken him with him, beating him from time to time (and here Mary understood!), suffering when they had been executed for trying to steal in the house of a rich man; Kou had been abandoned in a manhole and had spent time craving for the blue sky (and here Mary comprehended...), later found and sent to the orphanage by the soldiers.

He told her how they had treated him well at first: new clothes, food... and then, because of the war and the consequential need for money, they had sent him into a kind of club to " _entertain_ " the aristocrats: he had seen hell again; even Ruki and Azusa had suffered the anguish of the other orphan children and as for Yuuma... well, it wasn't good antagonizing him.

He told her about their escape and their failure... and then about the encounter with Karlheinz, the one who had saved them by giving them a new chance.

Silence wrapped them again.

Someone knocked on the door.

\- _Kachiku_! _You've been there for an hour and a half_ , _get out_!

Kou was gone; Mary, who surely didn't want to increase Ruki's anger, proceeded to rinse herself, reflecting on what had been said to her.

 _It's strange that he told me about it so easily..._ , she thought as she dressed; she quickly dried her hair and went out of the bathroom, heading towards her bedroom.

\- Yuuma-kun - she instinctively called him, catching sight of him as he was going up the stairs. The boy tilted his head, his face questioning and a little bothered.

 _He looks like Dad. I need to tell him about Shuu._

\- ... Good night - she just smiled.

Yuuma widened his eyes, somewhat dumbfounded; he had expected something more, judging by the girl's restless look. He nodded his head and headed to his room.

Mary sighed and returned on her path; at least she would have rested... she had said to herself before spotting her bed: Kou was waiting for her, sitting on it comfortably.

\- _Yahoo~ Neko-chan_! Now it's your turn!

The girl replaced her more and more irritated face with a confused one.

\- I told you about our past, you tell me about yours! _Fair exchange_ , right?

 _Get the philosophy of this hypocrite? Ugh..._ , the girl rubbed her temples, mumbling; it wasn't like her talking about it so easily with people she had just met, in fact she had revealed little to Subaru, Laito and Shuu and had focused on the less rough details (except confessing that she had killed her best friend's parents).

But who knew what Kou would have done if she hadn't accept his request?

She sat on the edge of the bed and, breathing deeply, she began.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading~ I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**

"Daijoubu?" means "Are you ok?".


	12. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11_

Mary was proceeding on the cobbled pavement, holding her little brother's hand and making sure he didn't stumble; from time to time she would touch with her fingers the leaves of the rose bushes not yet blossomed and look beyond the hedges, rising on her toes in an attempt to glimpse at her mother's candid hair.

After ten minutes of wandering, she had sat on the grass, without caring about the slightest humidity to stain her chequered blue dress; Mark had sat next to her, leaning his head on her shoulder, and caressing her hand, murmuring random words, for the pure pleasure of pronouncing them and tasting their sound. Her sister's dark and lively eyes had shifted from the clear sky to the colourful cobbles; bored, she had huffed and murmured there was nothing interesting, and had shooed some _butterflies_ from her hair.

\- _Aneki_...

\- Mh? What is it?

\- I hear _them_...

Mary had looked around their surroundings for a second time and had seen _them_ , hidden at the foot of a bush a few metres from them; the little sister had held her twin tight, whispering gently to comfort him, promising that _they_ wouldn't hurt him.

She had heard the ladies dressed in long black dresses and laced aprons muttering; they were watching them secretly and the little girl, despite being a little younger than three years old, had realized that their stares weren't kind and probably they were... what did her father used to say, about the ladies living along the street? _Lossiping_? _Bossiping_?

\- ... _Gossiping_? – Mark had whispered, pronouncing the word carefully and rubbing his hands on his lifeless eyes, sleepy; his sister had smiled and nodded, rubbing her head against his in an affectionate gesture. Then, she had heard them say:

\- I've been watching them since this morning; that little girl keeps on staring at the void and speaks to herself! Unless sfe's one of those people able to see ghosts...

\- Nonsense!

\- If you take into account who we serve, it isn't a hasty theory...

\- A vampire is a thing, a ghost another! That little girl is retarded...

 _What is "retarded"? And those weren't ghosts, they were sprites... and there were also the little butterflies... and I'm still here_ , she thought, shooing some of the latter from her face and scolding them, annoyed. The women, still staring at her, had resumed their chatting about the scene they had just witnessed.

 _Don't those ladies see them? Huff... Mummy says they exist, Dad doesn't say anything because he doesn't see them, but he knows I'm not lying..._

\- The brother is blind, poor child, but he also isn't normal... he says he hears so many voices, so many noises! - one of the waiters had added in the meantime.

\- _Aneki_.

Mark had clung to her, whining, but not because of those gossips: the hidden creatures perceived by his ears and his sister's eyes had approached them a little, curious and at the same time threatening.

\- Everything is alright. _It's alright_... - the twin had embraced him even tighter and she had glared heavily at those beings who were later attacked by the butterflies that were always accompanying her.

Those butterflies that _nobody_ could see. Those strange creatures, those bright shadows, those fun sprites and those bizarre, little beings resembling mice: none of these were visible at others; but Mark, blind, could hear their voices, their movements, their groans.

 _Maybe we're not really normal?_

Mary had stood up, looking hard: where was mother? They couldn't stay there any longer, and Mark was beginning to give signs of drowsiness. And she had that _strange_ , _sad_ _and unbearable feeling of emptiness in her chest_...

* * *

Mr Flyer had been distracted for just a second, examining the lush strawberry plants growing beneath the hydrangeas delimiting the path beside the river. It had been just that moment, and Mark had slipped into the water, followed by his sister's cry who had run straight ahead to grab his hand, falling in the creek herself.

 _His wife would have never forgiven him for this_...

He had run along the shore as quickly as possible, seeing from time to time their hands coming out among the water, until he had turned to cross a thick trunk and dive.

He had been able to grab them just in time and after ten minutes between holding their head over the water's surface and bearing his children's shrieks, they had finally managed to get on solid ground. There was his wife, waiting for them with a furious face, and he had swallowed and sighed, while remaining impassive.

The spouses had withdrawn, after making sure the twins were fine, to discuss (the husband to tolerate her lecture); Mary and Mark were holding hands, soaked and out of breath, still a bit scared but also confused.

\- _Aneki_...

\- Mh. The butterflies stayed out of the water... they could have saved us! - the little girl had said, squeezing her hair to remove excess water; her little brother had opened his hand and asked her what he had picked up.

Mary had looked at the object carefully, wondering why her brother, blind, had risked his life to grab something he had heard calling him.

\- It looks like a pendant... a little ruined – she had said, staring at the rusted object - Throw it away, _aniki_ , there's a bad sprite in it... they pull bad pranks.

Mark had obeyed, disappointed.

The parents had approached them a few minutes later and their father had picked them up in his arms, though they already had been more than five year old; the mother had approached them, kissing them on their foreheads and caressing their rosy cheeks.

Mary knew immediately that something was not right. There was a worried hint in her mother's expression, despite her smile; but her opaque aquamarine eyes weren't lying. She had confirmed this impression when her mother had closed her mouth after opening it, caressing her own white curls, nervous.

Her husband had sighed.

\- Mummy must leave... She has to check a few things for your sake... And it'll take a long time. But she'll try to visit you every now, so don't despair.

Mark had swung his arms, murmuring unwilling words; his mother had embraced him, trying to reassure him, then turned her eyes to the little girl, silently glaring at her.

The woman had bitten her lips, regretful.

Mary had curled her lips, vexed.

 _Mum is doing this for us, though... it's important..._

\- Mary, Mark... I'm sorry... I'll be back as soon as possible, okay? And I'll introduce you to your _cousins_...

The twins had looked at their mother walking away with fast and decisive steps, her hair waving on her back and her blue robe rustling against the grass and the blooming bushes. Mark had hidden his face in his father's neck, listening to his mother's distant attempts to suppress her sobs; Mary had seen the sky suddenly change its colour.

Their deep in thought father was already foreseeing the gossips which would spread; he knew that his wife was admired: she was well-regarded in many ways, in particular for being able to control her children's powers. Many had realized that they could have been _the ones_... especially his daughter: so many signs had showed that Mary could have been _Izanami_. And her mother had left to travel around the world (or rather the kingdoms...) looking for girls with similar traits to become Izanami: there could only be _one_ at time.

* * *

\- YUHUU~!

\- THEO! Get down that streetlight _immediately_! And _how_ did _that idiot_ even get up there?! – Mr Ari had slammed a hand on his forehead, huffing: Theo Blizzard, his pupil, was swinging back and forth on the streetlight like a monkey, laughing and greeting the bystanders, who were watching some terrified, some puzzled, and others giggling.

Since he had been seven years old, Theo had been famous for his cheerfulness and fearlessness, besides being the best friend of the Flyer twins; even though he didn't reach the same level as Mary in terms of fearlessness...

\- Mark, tell _that idiot_ to get down... - the teacher had turned to the little boy, ignoring his comment "Ari-sensei, you can't say idiot", then looked to search a dark brown bob - And _where the hell_ is your sister?!

Following the direction indicated by the child with nonchalance, the young man had rushed to the road leading to the power station; why were they in that area? Ah, right: not far from there, there was a large heath, perfect to start their lessons, being deserted and quiet.

And he had seen her wandering around the building's perimeter, with her usual curious and innocent expression.

\- _That_... Argh! - Mr Ari had approached her with supersonic speeds before she could have entered from underneath the security nets (how could she have succeeded was a mystery), catching her and carrying her on his shoulders.

\- Mary! _Are you out of your mind_? - he had scolded her on the way back.

The little girl had mumbled:

\- There was a red shadow that wanted to make me see how the powerhouse works... it's been there for so long, so it has learned so many things...

Mr Ari had sighed, exasperated.

\- I understand you like to know, but everything in due time, Mary! One day I'll take you there, okay? _Going alone will do you no good_! Try to get it in your head: it's _dangerous_.

Mary had grumbled something incomprehensible, staring at her dangling arms.

The problems had been not over yet for the teacher: once they had reached the former place, Mark was still there, impassive, and Theo was still hooked with all four his limbs at the streetlight, with his idiotic smile still on... and was pale as a corpse, and his black hair did nothing but make his white skin to stand out.

Mr Ari had cursed the day he had accepted the task of teaching the trio to control their powers.

\- Theo-kun, I'll help you! - the friend had said, jumping down the teacher's shoulder, which had also paled.

\- _No_! Mary, _don't_ use your...

The top of the streetlight had moved and Theo had let a groan of fear out.

\- _Mary-chaaan_ \- he had cried, whining with a nervous smile.

\- Just wait... - the little girl had narrowed her eyes, trying to concentrate; the kid had slipped, holding on only with his hands and close to fainting.

Mary had been breaking in a cold sweat and trembling, scared. Why couldn't she do anything? The butterflies had seemed confused; they had never been asked to "take" a person, the maximum they had done until then had been to help her resume her balance when she stumbled.

Some people around were frightening; Mark had also heard malicious gossip against his sister and had controlled his tears of frustration.

Mr Ari knelt beside the little girl, realizing how the situation was going, and he had put his hands on her shoulders, strong and reassuring:

\- Mary! _Calm down_. Have patience.

The little girl had breathed deeply, closing her eyes.

\- Patience, calm and _concentration_.

She had reopened her eyes and had firmly stare at her friend; the butterflies had grabbed him by the wrists and slowly brought him down.

\- Yes... _Yes_! See?, you did it! - Mr. Ari, who didn't smile very often, had smiled at her.

Mary had felt accomplished and had been embraced by Theo, in tears of relief, and Mark, joining to feel the warmth of his twin and his best friend.

And some nasty individual, in the meantime, had said:

\- Thank goodness that little girl is in Ari's care! _Let's hope for the best_...

That sense of accomplishment had been shattered a little.

* * *

\- _MAAAAARYYY_!

Mary slammed her head against the tree.

About eight and a half years old, she didn't have many friends at school: many kept their distances from her, too confused by her lively eyes, focused where there was _no one_ , others didn't simply like her, others didn't get to know her.

And then there were those who didn't want to be close to Mark, that blind and too much taciturn boy, too distracted by _something_ , and to Theo too: _idiotic face_.

She had exchanged some simple and peaceful chats with some female classmates, but all in all she had no real friends.

Except _her_ : Claire Turner, that one year younger child, moved in a year before, who had been chasing her everywhere for weeks, insisting they had the same scent; about that, one day, Mr Flyer had explained them that they were both half-witches and half-demons.

It wasn't like she disliked that girl: she was just _a little too much_ reckless (not that Mary wasn't like that too...) and there was something _strange_ in her; there were strange, _suffocating_ , worrying vibes around her, and there were ugly _spots_ and _scratches_ on her skin...

\- Mary! - Claire had embraced her with force; the girl had raised her head a little to get her nose away from that red hair that would tickle her very often.

The little girl had let her go, twirling around, and had grabbed the hem of her pink dress with her hands, staring at her friend's brown eyes with her purple ones.

\- Mary, do you like my new dress? _Daddy_ gave it to me because I was a _good girl_...

Mary had fallen silent for a few seconds, looking closely at the expression of the little girl in front of her: there had been something bitter in her face when she had uttered the last words. Nevertheless, she had smiled:

\- You're beautiful! Are we going to pick some flowers?

\- _No_! I want to do what _you_ like to do, not what _I_ like! - Mary was curious, she would observe and read books; Claire was radiant, she would pick flowers and spin around.

The oldest then had began to rummage in her bag, while answering the other's questions about where her twin and Theo were; a few meters further, her friend was describing the clouds at Mark, melancholy.

\- Will he ever see, _Markucchi_ I mean? - Claire had sadly murmured; Mary had sighed and not answered, pulling out a book about the creatures inhabiting the world.

\- Oooh, nice, _nice_! - her friend had exclaimed, browsing a few pages - Let's look at those like us, huh?

The girls had spent an hour devouring that entire volume, commenting; at one point, Mary had realized Claire's growing discomfort, especially when they were reading a part about the chances of giving births to hybrids.

\- So it's rare to give birth to hybrids... – she had whispered.

\- Yeah. It is impossible to create half vampires in _any_ case! It is difficult to create half demons and half wizards... it has been _docu_... _domen_... "do-cu-men-ted" that half demon and half human hybrids are more common... And half wizards and half humans are much more widespread – Mary had repeated, reflecting - In fact, Mummy is a demon and her sister was a vampire! My grandfather was a demon, if I'm not mistaken, while my grandmother was a vampire or something...

She had stopped, noticing her friend being quiet; she had called her, puzzled.

\- Mary... _I_... - the little girl had looked at her; it wasn't about what they were reading; it was something she wanted to reveal to her, but she was afraid to. And fear had painted her face when a male voice had called her.

They had turned and saw Mr Turner approaching them. Mary had never liked that man: too rude, too gloomy; indeed, she didn't like his wife either. The two spouses had always looked shabby, and their strong smell would make her feel dizzy...

Claire had shaken her hands, trembling.

\- Claire? - confused, the dark-eyed girl had observed her; the redhead had returned her gaze with a begging one.

 _Please help me. Take me away._

Her father had greeted her sharply and grabbed his daughter's hand, dragging her away.

And Mary had seen both the purple bruises on Claire's calves and her terrified look.

Mark had suddenly turned, supporting with his hands Theo, who had fallen asleep on him, and listened to his sister's dubious and terrific thoughts; he had advised her not to go alone, but the girl had already stood up and ran to the pursuit.

A classmate of hers, after a brief fight with another one, had been injured with purple bruises for a few days. How had Claire gotten them? Not from the other children for sure: she was always alone, or with her, or with her parents. And when she was with her parents, she was always agitated, paling out of fear.

After ten minutes she was in front of the Turners' house's door; waiting for them to come in, she had walked around the garden, looking for a window with a gap between the curtains to see the inside.

(Un)fortunately she had found one and what she had seen... had confirmed her terrible doubts. She had immediately thought and warn his brother, in the meantime looking for a way to enter and save her friend from her father's beating and her mother's slaps, in the middle of the floor full of crushed bottles, shattered plates and pieces of wood (probably chairs, once).

Something, inside her, was shaking. Maybe anger? _Hatred_? She couldn't recognize that feeling because it was _so intense_ , so much that it had overcome her discovery's shock.

She had reached the door on the back of the house and asked the butterflies to break through the door: the door had broken in two, with enough space to go in and enter the house; Mary hadn't calculated that the noise would have been heard by the two parents.

Mrs Turner had seen her and had tried to get her out, but the butterflies had pushed her to the side, allowing the girl to go to the living room and help her friend.

 _But how?_

\- Claire ...! - her voice had died in her throat. For some reason, Mr Turner had been more violent that day, and his daughter was lying on the floor gasping, her eyes half-closed, and an expression that was no longer capable of suffering; her arms had become almost black, her dress torn, blood flowing from her nose and mouth.

Mary had widened her eyes and was approaching slowly, silent. She could hear nothing; she didn't hear the aggressive screams of the man telling her to go away, unable to use his hands for the surprise of having found her in his house; she didn't hear the voice of the woman who, coming back, had approached her to grab her and bring her out, stopped by the invisible butterflies.

She sat next to her friend and slowly hold her in her arms, resting her on her lap, caressing her forehead, telling her that everything would be fine.

Claire was crying; the man had stood up and was about to kick her off.

That strange feeling that had begun to grow had cancelled all her senses; she was only able to see her friend in that state and to perceive the hatred and rage within herself. She had seen the floor getting red, scarlet drops dirtying everywhere, her and her ruined rosy dress; she had catch sight of a cut off hand falling to the ground.

Then everything blackened.

At her awakening, the ceiling of the hospital room had seemed very close. She had heard talking in the hallway and had seen black shadows staring at her from the corners of the bare, melancholy room; her eyes had turned to her left, sure there was somebody; in fact, Claire was lying asleep among the bed's blankets, bandaged and dressed appropriately.

\- Ari, do you think they can turn into silver? - she recognized her father's voice, probably a few steps away from the room's door.

\- Analysing the cuts on their bodies, silver traces were found. Those butterflies can become made of silver, it would seem - the teacher explained nervously, huffing - They acted on their own will, in my opinion. Mary must have felt a wide range of very strong emotions, so her powers escaped her control and the butterflies protected her... _exaggeratedly_.

\- I see... my wife had told me about similar experiences in the past... - the other muttered, demoralized.

\- I'm her teacher. I'll help her, you don't have to worry.

\- Have you ever thought about how to explain her what happened? _This_ is worrying me – Mr Flyer said, his voice getting deeper and more dry.

\- _Dad_ – they had heard the little girl's frightened and faint voice, and had reached her.

The teacher had leaned against the wall, his hands in the pockets of his pants and his eyebrows curled in a frown; her father had approached her, bending over his knees and caressing her face with a restless expression.

\- Where are... Mrs and Mr... Turner? - Mary had asked, but she was already aware of the answer and tears were sliding along her pale skin - Was it... _me_?

The two men hadn't answered and had lowered their gaze.

* * *

Mary had thanked God for making her grow so fast, though she was only twelve; she was strong enough to venture into the thick woods (maybe she could have even thanked her eating too many sweets...) and move between huge rocks and old tree trunks. She had advanced with her heart beating fast, enthusiastic; for a few weeks she had been studying a little about parasitic plants and couldn't wait to see the _Miriandola Bluetta_ up close.

In the meantime, she had been ignoring Anna's protests, a _kohai_ she'd accidentally encountered before going into the woods.

\- Senpai! Ari-sensei said it isn't wise to venture in here! There are too many dangerous plants! - the girl had shouted at her, holding her long blond hair in her hands and examining the path with her stone-coloured eyes; she had reached and stopped her.

\- Senpai! - she had shaken her by her shoulders - There are some poisonous plants, it's danger-...

\- Anna, _don't worry_ , poisons have no effect on me... stay calm, I know what I'm doing! - she had smiled slightly at her, proceeding.

The blonde had groaned frustrated, then moved away.

 _Why do I care, I don't even like her! I'm just a little sorry for what happened four years ago with Claire... She saved her from those bastard parents and people still treat her unfairly! ... Aaah, who cares!,_ Anna had thought.

However, after only three metres she had heard that cry which would have frozen her blood every time she would recall it; thanks to her slender and agile form, she had run out of the woods and sought help, but seeing no one nearby (it had been a late afternoon when everyone was either already at home or still at work) she had headed back.

She had found her thanks to her agonizing screams, wrapped in the coils of that parasitic plant that was injecting its poison into her chest like a snake; Anna didn't know what to do, she hadn't had any cutting weapon with her, nor did she have the right powers. A sense of helplessness and despair was taking her over and her _senpai's_ eyes widened out of pain were doing nothing but disheartening her.

She had rubbed her hands on her clothes, looking for anything, backing up and approaching, careful not to step on _Miriandola Bluetta_ 's roots; she had touched something in the pocket of her pants and had pulled out some matches. One by one she had pulled them out and lit them, throwing them on the bush, until they had started to form flames and this had begun to screech, loosening its grip on Mary's body.

Anna had quickly reached her, putting her arms under her armpits and dragged her away, panting and ignoring the girl's weak and suffering sobs.

Outside the woods she had fallen to the ground with her _senpai_ on her legs and shook her, screaming her own sisters' names, instinctively; but if neither them nor others had heard her requests of help before, they wouldn't have heard her again.

Mary had kept shaking and screaming in her spasms and Anna was holding her head in her hands, plugging her ears, and closing her eyes not to look at her, disturbed.

At one point she had felt someone grasping her shoulders, lifting her up and, opened her eyes, she had seen Mr Ari bending on her _senpai_ , taking her in his arms and, followed by that woman who she remembered to be called Elena, hurried towards the hospital. Then, in front of her, Theo's worried face had appeared and she had heard Mark's calming voice behind her.

Her cheeks were stained with tears and mascara; never in those eleven years of her life she had experienced a more terrifying and traumatic episode than that.

Reached the hospital, just by staying in the yard she could hear the screams of the injured girl, as surgeons were operating on her lungs to get rid of the parasite; Anna would have found out later that it had been necessary to remove the entire lung and replace it with an artificial one, making Mary's life more difficult.

Hours had passed and she had gone with Mark and Theo in the room where the girl had been admitted in, sleeping deeply.

On her cell phone, Anna had repeatedly refused her older sisters' solicitations to go home, preferring to await her schoolmate's awakening; in the meanwhile, her best friends and classmates Finn and Claire had joined, the latter almost dropping herself on Mary's figure, barely held in time by a wise and smiling Theo.

The girl had recovered the following day, saved from Claire's crushing hugs by her twin, and had been helped by Theo to sit down.

No one had stopped Anna from slapping her and Mary had touched her cheek, staring in astonishment at the blonde.

\- Don't poke your nose where they can cut it off, _senpai no baka_! – Anna had scolded her, her hands on her hips and bossy voice.

Silence had ruled in the room, with a impassive Mark, Theo's idiotic smile and Finn holding back Claire from lynching their friend for having slapped "her" Mary.

The latter had cracked a nervous smile and had taken her hands in hers, under Anna's confused look:

\- Thank you for saving me, Anna - she had smiled weakly, still stressed by the episode and the operation.

The blonde had blushed and had mumbled that she should have thanked Mr Ari and Miss Elena... then she had noticed her _senpai_ touching her hair.

\- What the he... Stop playing with my _braid_ , you're irritating, _senpai_! – she had shrieked, taking back her braid and protesting against Mary's pouting face.

* * *

\- Mary-senpai... watch out for your head... _I told you_...

Finn had been staring indifferently at the girl who had just hit her head against a very low branch, massaging her sore forehead and mumbling at her not to tell anyone about her distraction. Her friend had examined her with her blue eyes, tilting her head to the side, and told her there had been another witness, pointing her finger behind her.

Mary had become redder than Claire's hair and began to murmur incomprehensible words and break out in a sweat cold: the one who had seen her was none other than Morten, Finn's brother and the _senpai_ who had just been entrusted with her, Mark and Theo to accompany them in the small assignments given to the youth from the age of fifteen.

\- What a glorious scene I had the pleasure to see, haha - the boy said sardonically, approaching them and ruffling his sister's black hair, then brushing his blond hair and narrowing his hazel eyes - _These are the disadvantages of being tall_ , _eh_!

Morten was known not only as one of the most scorbutic and susceptible among his peers, but was particularly well-known for his height, one metre and sixty centimetres for a sixteen-years-old male who had stopped growing; he was ten centimetres shorter than his _kohai_ Mary, who was staring down at him, holding back a mocking smile.

\- Oi, Cho-hime, _stop looking at me from up there_ – had been the boy's grumpy reaction, after thirty seconds of silence and glares.

Before Mary could have ironically answered, they had heard Theo's distant screams and the resulting trembling of their surroundings; they had huffed, resigned: where there was Theo, there was an earthquake, everyone knew it.

\- Not to be an _asshole_ , but even the death of his parents hasn't chill out _Baka-ouji_ 's personality - Morten had murmured, scratching his nape and smoothing the sleeves of his leather jacket.

\- If you ever had any parents, I don't think your personality would have been less quick-tempered than now - Mary had replied – Indeed, your aunt Lalla can't still forgive herself for not having educated you properly... at least _Ficchan_ is a good girl – she had added, giving a loving caress to her friend's shoulder, who _had swelled_ silently, exalted by the compliment.

\- ... _Shut up_ , _Cho-hime_.

\- _Meh meh_.

Finn had sighed, used to that bickering, and had waved her hand to greet Anna, Claire and Mark who were approaching then, following Theo.

\- And speaking of disadvantages, Mo-senpai, tell me about your nose's shape...

\- SHUT UP, MARY.

* * *

\- Mary-senpaaai! I really _admire_ you! Teach me!

Mary had repeatedly hit her head against the book before being stopped by Ryan's hand (with whom she had miraculously restored her friendships a few months after they had broken up); Rose had laughed weakly, apologizing for her persistent sister who like her a lot and found every moment good enough to get close to her.

All the three of them had been in the high school's yard to discuss the assignment they had been given that morning, that was monitoring the seashore; Mary with her can of lemon tea and three thousand sheets casually stacked in her bag, among drawings, considerations and notes, Ryan with his folder containing designs as a future architect and still a little shocked by the fail mark obtained in the English test (and it was also his last year of school), Rose with the stress that had curled her platinum hair in a shaggy and inextricable form, tidied up in a kind of bun on her head.

Rose was a classmate of Morten's and a roommate; it was custom that some groups of students were to live under the same roof, managing her life's necessities by themselves: the Flyer twins, Theo, Claire, Anna, the siblings Finn and Morten and the orphan sisters Rose and Isa Mist had decided to live together. Theo had also tried to invite Ryan but he had refused, since he couldn't forgive himself for the mistake done to Mary and couldn't look Mark in his face out of shame.

And it had been on that occasion that Isa had met Mary, getting fond of her, and the latter, despite not hating her, had been desperate recently because of her excessive attachment; she also didn't appreciate all that admiration and will to make her as a model: personally, she didn't think she was a good example to follow, especially after recalling _the lung accident and Claire's one_...

The fourteen-year-old had just reached them, looking forward to show her _senpai_ the results of some researches.

\- Rose-senpai. Please. Tell her not to be as curious as me, _she'll risk her life_ – Mary had murmured, tired, rubbing her nose bridge, while Ryan had snickered amused and had given her a smack on her head, affectionately. _Very affectionately_.

Thus wo pairs of amber eyes had met and the two sisters had stared at each other.

\- Onee-chan... _onegai_? - Isa had looked at her with puppy eyes.

\- _Isa_ \- but her sister's severity had won.

\- Mary-senpaaai - the brown-haired girl had shaken her shoulders – _you teach meee_!

\- Isacchi... _lemme go_... – she had replied, sour and frantic.

\- Ahahahaha, Mary-chan, you can't do anything. _You're too special_ \- Rose had smiled.

Mary had blushed at that compliment while trying to stop kohai.

Rose had been kind to her and had advised her many times; appreciated and admired by almost all the students, she was a _good example_ to follow...

* * *

\- _But I was wrong about her_ \- Mary said, looking at the white ceiling of her room, lying on the bed beside Kou who had listened to everything, every now and then asking some curious questions and saying some confused or ironic comments.

There was silence for a few seconds.

\- Why? - Azusa asked suddenly.

Kou and Mary made a jump that would have made fleas die of envy.

\- _AZUSA_!

His lavender eyes looked at them questioningly.

\- H- _How long have you been here_? - Kou asked, thinking that if he had been still a human, his heart would have probably slipped up in his throat.

\- _I've always been here_ \- he said, in unison with Mary, who was expecting that answer, hand on her heart to appease the beats threatening to knock her out.

They exchanged understanding glances, until the girl started laughing, imitated by the two brothers.

They heard knocking on the door, through which Ruki came in with a scary face and Yuuma with a quite irritated one, complaining about the noise.

Being them children, the picture was _adorable_.

\- Ruki-kun, don't get angry, it's Azusa-kun fault! – the beckoned vampire curled his lips and glared at the blond.

\- By the way, it would be interesting to know _what you're doing here_. Do you have any explanations, _kachiku_? - Ruki asked, turning to her with a serious (and _cute_ ) expression, Kou answering for her.

\- Nope, it was nothing, Ruki-kun! She was just telling me her past, we're finished - he said, leaving the bedroom after bidding goodnight to them. Yuuma followed him shortly after giving Mary a dirty look.

Ruki stared intensely at the girl, causing her to shiver nervously inside her immobile and impassive figure, and at last he left.

\- Izanami? Neh... why... were you wrong... about Rose-san?

Mary was quiet, reflecting her eyes on his. She smiled bitterly.

\- A year later, there was an attack on our city... We found out that Rose was a traitor. She had killed some adults and so many of our schoolmates... including Ryan. Then she even tried to assassinate Isa.

\- _Her own_... _sister_...? - Azusa repeated, upset; je certainly would have never done such a thing to his brothers. Mary nodded, gloomy, and hugged her knees after she leaned back against the wall, her eyes on the ivory-coloured bedcover.

\- I... _I_... I had stopped her. By doing so, however, I had killed her.

The girl hid her face in her arms and her cracked voice exhorted Azusa to let her alone: not everyone like him loved to suffer in company; even though _that kind of pain_ , according to him, didn't seem _as enjoyable_ as the one he inflicted on his _body_...

\- Mary-san... thank you for... telling us... - the vampire caressed her head and wished her good night, disappearing.

After a few minutes she got up, changed, turned off the light and finally took refuge in the blankets.

And the nightmares came back to torment her, beginning with Ryan's image, that she had found suffering and dying in a school's hallway; Rose's wicked smile and the unbelieving and hurt Isa; the school partially destroyed.

 _That she had destroyed_.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter**


	13. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12_

Mary looked at the calendar printed on her diary's last page, confused and totally absorbed in thought: her last period dated back to July, and the end of September was approaching. She hadn't had frequent irregularities since she was twelve, except for one a year before, and she couldn't understand this bizarre oddity. Maybe the stress?

She shrugged, huffing and abruptly tossed her diary into the nightstand's drawer next to the bed, startling the hamster who was dozing off on her head; she heard Kou's and Yuuma's yells coming from downstairs, probably fighting over the extra fried shrimps the former had claimed for himself in vain at lunch again.

With an amused smile, the girl looked back at the diary and saw the tip of the envelope she had hidden the night before, later forgetting about it.

 _Okaa-san no tegami(1)_ _..._

She pulled it out from the pages and opened it slowly, her heart in her throat; wanting to get more comfortable, she decided to move on the bed, after arranging the pillows against the headboard to rest on it. She unfolded the sheet and, breathing deeply, began to read:

 _My sweet lavender flower,_

 _I'm sorry I haven't write you for four years. I was very busy and communicating was almost always impossible; but that's not what I want to talk about with you, first._

 _Ouch. If Mum writes "first", it's game over..._ , Mary thought, ironic.

 _Are. You. Out. Of. Your. Mind._

 _Why, why did you accept Karl's proposal?! Thank God I found out immediately through your father, when I was in a good mood and therefore able to sort everything out in my head._

 _I guess you think that Karl has "hosted" you in his sons' house just as an exchange for feeding them your blood; well, no._

 _The research I've been conducting for all these years looking for other girls who might be Izanami led me to cross paths with Karl._

 _Yes, somehow he's involved in this too. Or rather, he wanted to poke his nose in it._

 _Karl aims at marrying Izanami and Eve with one of his children respectively._

\- Wha- _EEEEEH_?! - Mary almost choked with her own saliva. She coughed violently before going on with her reading, aided by Freckle's benevolent power, who had jolted a second time at her sudden reaction.

 _Eve and Izanami, according to Karl, are two singular figures, gifted with very rare and important powers. With these two weddings, hiw offspring would surely be stronger and able to change the world._

 _Now; ignores Karl's Marvel-ish utopian and heroic dream and back to our topic._

 _My daughter. I have searched everywhere: there is no girl who can **see and perceive things out of the ordinary** as you, even for creatures different from humans. There is none who is a little **psychic**. There is no girl **who is listened to by those little beings** like your butterflies._

 _There is not._

 _You, my daughter, are the next Izanami._

Two drops wetted the sheet; Mary immediately wiped her eyes and resisted that heavy knot in her throat to finish the letter, while the hamster cuddled her cheek, sad.

 _It is my duty to inform you about the future changes that will involve your body and your powers._

 _There will be frequent and weird **menstrual irregularities**. For a few days you may suffer from **malaise, nausea and migraines,** or the like._

 _The **skin will begin to lighten and become transparent** (think about Chihiro from your favourite movie Spirited away), starting from the tip of your fingers; you will be able to distinguish the shapes, but you will see through it._

 _ **Some skills will improve** , for example your regenerative powers might be applied to other organisms; **others will disappear**._

 _There is a final "step," but I would rather talk about it personally, as it is too complicated to explain by writing it._

 _And I don't have much time; here in the Demon World some are causing several troubles... But this is the least evil. The most horrible thing to bear is Karl's company, since his collaboration is necessary._

 _You know how much I hate Karl._

 _Mary. I'm sorry. I didn't want you to become Izanami. I didn't think you were going to be born. At first it was only Mark..._

 _...And then you suddenly popped up. You began to develop a month after conception, like a little miracle; at the time I had suspected something, and I wasn't the only one: in fact some thought it was even a curse. But, my daughter? You're not a curse. I was surprised, of course, at your sudden appearance... but I love you, Mary._

"I should not exist"; Mary recalled thinking of this, when Subaru had asked her months ago not _who_ , but _what_ she was.

 _You and Mark are my greatest treasures. I won't allow any harm to be done to you. I won't let your lives to be overturned. I'll do my best to achieve these goals._

 _And thus I will do everything so that you can tolerate these changes. It'd be nice to think that there is a way to avoid becoming Izanami, too; but you would be asking too much: trying doesn't hurt, but letting it go to your head does._

 _Back to the marriage's issue: I will certainly have nothing to say against your possible romantic relationship with one of Karl's sons._

 _And I'm not just talking about the biological ones, but also the adoptive ones._

 _I guess you don't remember them: you first met them with Mark when you were three years old; I had brought you with me during one of my many and frequent past courtesy visits to Karl (I hate him so much)._

\- Oh my God...

Mary widened her eyes, diving into her most remote memories.

She remembered the garden where she and her twin were waiting for their mother; she recalled that _giant_ who had grumbled to them to get away from the rose bushes and had given them some _sugar cubes_ ; she remembered the _blond_ who was watching the _sky_ while lying on the grass, observed by her without him knowing; she recalled that _kind_ guy who had accompanied them inside, hiding his small _knife_ from their sight; she remembered the young man who was smirking at seeing her trying to reach in vain the books of the _library_ where her mother had been discussing with Karlheinz.

How did she forget?

 _One of them, Yuuma, if I'm not mistaken... His eyes are very similar to your father's, and you know that they're one of his most singular features. If you were to meet him again, could you ask him if he remembers having a relative named Abel? It was the name of your grand-and-something-father. Maybe... I say, maybe... they should be brothers. But we're talking about nearly a century and a half ago. Probably less._

 _With all the centuries I've lived I can't count the passing years anymore._

 _You know, your father has always wondered how he had made me fall in love with him himself for the first time, with all the centuries I've lived and the young men I met._

 _If you compare Karl with your father, you'll understand why._

 _I've seen Karl for so long and you know what I think of him._

 _Do you know he had asked for my hand? He had tried it, to be more precise._

 _I had already pierced him in the stomach with a glass blade._

 _He must've been very offended when he found out I had married a simple wizard._

 _What a prankster I am._

 _I'm dwelling too much and I'm forced to end it here, my daughter._

 _I love you, my sweet lavender flower,_

 _Your mother, the Glass Lady_

Someone knocked on the door and Mary frantically hid the letter in her diary ( _and Freckle jumped a third time_ ), then put it under the pillow, and quickly stood to go and open the door.

With her eyes turned downwards, she met Ruki's annoyed face.

 _It's so beautiful seeing him without his usual irritating smile_ , she thought a little sharply in her head, holding back from laughing in time.

\- First, I think I've already told you not to shout; second, for dinner I want to prepare... - the vampire's expression into a confused and suspicious one - _Kachiku_? Why are your cheeks _wet_?

 _Despicable tears._

\- I was reading something pretty dramatic - Mary replied vaguely, smart: it could have been a book she was referring to and not a letter as it was, so she wasn't lying; Ruki seemed to believe her, after all he knew of her passion for reading (he had seen some novels in her bag a few times, at school).

\- Anyway, I wanted to inform you that the Sakamaki brothers have called us, or to be more precise, _Eve_ did to let you know that the third brother has awakened.

\- _REALLY_?! - Mary snapped forwards, grabbing his shoulders instinctively, euphoric; her eyes were sparkling with happiness and her hair had whitened.

Ruki had stiffened and was silent, impassive, goggling at the taller (at that moment) girl's face; he focused on the warm hold, and at last his eyes observed her dark and joyous eyes: they had a small emerald spot on top, like Yuuma at certain times of the day, depending on the light...

\- _Let me go_ , _Kachiku_ \- he said in a low, hostile voice, darkened.

\- Oh... _Ah_! Sorry! - Mary raised her hands, embarrassed, smiling nervously at thinking he had forgotten to tell her what they were going to cook for dinner; and he had also forgotten to make her following him to help him in the kitchen.

Ruki, in the meanwhile, had walked away, emitting a low spiteful growl and ignoring the strange sensation he was feeling inside his chest.

* * *

\- Yuu-kun...

\- _Yuu-kun_? _Maji(2)_?

Mary ignored the boy's irked comment, going on with her speech as he watered the plants, among which the hamster was moving and casting out the little evil sprites; she and Yuuma either worked in the garden, or joked together: they had found out they got quite along, _almost like they had something in common in their blood_...

\- Koucchi told me that you suffer from amnesia... is it true?

Silence fell on the garden and Mary felt cold: once turned back to normal, he would have lynched her, she was sure of it. But after a few seconds she heard him grumbling a "yes", adding that he didn't want to speak about it and cursing Kou's tongue. Then she saw him suddenly becoming thoughtful and jumped when he laughed.

\- _Koucchi_? AHAHAHAHA! You're weird! Ahahahahaha...

The girl blushed, cracking a smile, and felt her hair being ruffled as he went behind her to take some gardening utensils; she heard him scold Azusa, who had stealthily got closer to look for some scissors to _use and try to cut himself,_ yelling at him not to dare to do such things with _his_ tools and in _his_ garden.

Disappointed by the outcome of his well-planned attempt, Azusa approached her, clinging to her free arm and talking about his wounds, which he had named after the three children he had been friends with in the past: he asked for her opinion on which names he should have chosen for the new cuts; despite the fact that she didn't like it, Mary smiled and answered gently. There was a certain affection between the two, perhaps because she would pinch his cheeks or perhaps because he was so fascinated by her (in short, it was mystery).

In the meanwhile Kou's loud complaints came from the kitchen, who was longing to eat _vongole bianco_ again for dinner; but Ruki was unmoving, probably, guessing from the blond's bored an sulking expression as soon as he looked out the window, studying the brothers and the girl in the garden.

It wasn't known what kind of relationship she had with Ruki: they would collaborate in the kitchen and with the household chores naturally, from time to time they would meet in the small library and discuss about Italian, Latin and Russian authors; other times they would bicker (in their own way). As for Kou... she would try and not be dragged into talks where he could interrogate her while using his eye; at other times they both had happened to laugh healthily about Subaru's _tsundere_ -ish attitude.

Mary kept on smiling, calmed by that lively and _so familiar_ atmosphere; until her gaze casually focused on the tips of her fingers which were handling the water hose and saw below the green of the plastic.

Her heart slowed its beating, as the sides of her mouth bent down, and she dropped the hose, deaf to Yuuma's vexed screams and Azusa's perplexed calls, running inside the house. Ruki stared at her heading past him in a hurry, like she had been alienated, and several times he tried to get her attention, frowning and wondering what had happened; Kou had followed her, tugging on her sweatshirt's sleeve, but none of this had helped; the girl had locked herself in her room without any explanation.

 _Tomorrow we'll turn back to normal. And then she'll have to give me explanations,_ Ruki thought, smirking malignantly.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 _(1) "Mother's letter"_

 _(2) "Seriously?"_


	14. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13_

She had locked herself in her room for a whole day, except for silently go to the bathroom - at last her period had done it's vile and merciless appearance as if she hadn't had enough sufferings, aggressively sketching and writing frenetic words on her diary, or running around into circles and looking out from the window as she rubbed stole her fingers; frustration, helplessness, rejection, panic: these were her feelings, her torments.

Her sleep, though it had lasted long, had been disturbed several times by her new nightmares that had temporarily suppressed the old ones, who were still threatening to return; and, because she had kept on rubbing her eyes to get rid of the tears, they had become swollen and red like too ripe tomatoes.

At last, Mary was sitting at her desk with her face sunk in a pillow, thinking about how pathetic she had been during that time, with her hair scattered across the wooden surface.

Instead of reacting vigorously, she had bowed her head to surrender.

She was feeling so ashamed...

 _Aneki, everyone is allowed to make mistakes._

 _What's important is that you are aware of it and you reflect on it._

 _And you're doing this for sure._

 _Merp... Anikiii... my fingers... they're transparent... and it was just the tips yesterday...!_

 _Have patience and be strong._

 _Everything will turn out fine._

 _You have me, Theo, and the others._

 _You have Yui-san. You have the vampires._

 _The vampires don't really care, eh ..._

 _It takes time..._

Someone knocked on the door.

Mary quickly got up, grabbing the gloves she had prepared to wear in front of other people; as a reason based on the truth, she would have said that her skin would tend to get easily chapped because of the cold weather.

When she opened the door she had to raise her head to face the person in front of her, stiff and with his arms folded; in just three days she had got used too much to lower her eyes...

\- Oh, Ruki-san, _what a pleasure_.

The vampire's right eyebrow twitched for a millisecond and his stern expression took on a threatening nuance.

\- You feel like being sarcastic, _Kachiku_. I don't approve this behaviour - he said coldly.

\- You could at least show a bit of joy since you're back to normal? – Mary exclaimed, rubbing her shoulder nervously – You know, it's not nice showing up with that sullen expression after a bad day...

She stopped, stiffening at his icy fingers touching the skin near her eyes, reddened and sore; he observed her carefully, frowning, then looked into her eyes, smirking.

\- I demand an explanation for your recent behaviour, _Kachiku_. Otherwise I could punish you... I think you do want to go to school tonight, to see _someone_...

The girl widened her eyes.

Ruki wasn't really the kind of person to use whips like Reiji; he would hit a nerve, the most painful one, and not in the physical sense: he would attack someone's feelings, someone's attachment to people, objects, or anything else. Surely it was a much more "efficient" treatment than Reiji's, but it was also more unpleasant.

 _Bastard._

Mary smacked the vampire's hand from her face, giving him a hostile look; irked by that gesture, the young man grabbed her wrist.

\- Oi, _what the hell are you_...

His eyes fell on her hand covered by a glove, getting curious about it; the girl had in the meantime blushed violently, bothered, and she tried to get away from that iron grip, in vain: after a rapid movement inside the room, he pushed her against the wall, blocking her with his forearm on her neck and pressing her legs with his; Mary, whining in pain because of the impact on the wall, tried in vain to push him away with her free hand, while Ruki was placing her other hand near his face to remove the glove using his teeth.

The young man widened his eyes.

If he was to describe in a book what he was seeing, he would have probably used the image of a rose-coloured glass statue: the girl's hand had become transparent; he could perceived the shape of her fingers, her nails, but the colour had faded both on the surface and internally, since he was able to see through it the white of the wall behind.

\- _What_... - Ruki started, without words; certainly, he would have never expected such a thing. He fell silent as her sobs reached his ears and turned to look at her face: her messy hair was framing her face, crimson because of who knows which emotion, a mixture of embarrassment, frustration and despair; her tears slid along her cheeks, dropping on his suit jacket's sleeve.

He sensed a thorny feeling within his chest, but he ignored the it, loosening his grip by shifting the arm to grab her hand pressed against his chest to push him away from her.

\- Explain – he ordered her in a voice which didn't allow rebellion, bringing her wrists next to her head, and resting his forehead against her to intimidate her ( _or perhaps to avoid a headbutt?_ He couldn't tell the reason, but he had guessed something similar...).

Mary bit her lips, making them whiten; she kept her eyes on the floor, trying to find her boots and his shoes interesting; Ruki, on the other hand, tightened the grip on her wrists and shifted his head so that the girl's neck was two centimetres from his lips, ready to bite on it aggressively.

\- Iza... nami... - she whispered with a faint voice; the vampire came back with his forehead against the girl's one - It's a change... occuring... to those becoming Izanami...

Ruki smiled, satisfied: this proved that the girl was without doubt Izanami; but why did it seem to frighten her? He had noticed from the beginning that she was averse to it.

He heard steps approaching and loosened his hold, not after whispering in her ear:

\- We're not over yet.

Mary breathed deeply, slipping to the ground, touching her chest to make sure her heart hadn't slipped away; meanwhile, Azusa came in, glad to be back to his original size and enthusiastic to meet her, then worrying and crouching next to her and ask if she was ok.

* * *

When Mary finally entered the classroom, the first person she noticed was Reiji, sitting at his desk, lost in thought, elbows leaning on the wooden surface and hands clasped in front of his face; she bent an eyebrow at that sight and approached him, _kindly_ _encouraged_ by a push from Ruki, whom she was blocking from reaching his own desk.

\- Reiji-san?

The bespectacled vampire didn't reply, absorbed in God knew which thoughts; the other one had focused his gaze on him, after sitting, curious by his strange behaviour.

\- _Reiji-san_ \- Mary called him again, raising her voice a little.

\- Oh - the young man looked up at her, at first surprised then serious – _It's you_... - a few minutes passed while silently staring at each other, waiting for one of them to speak - Maybe... _No_. It's nothing. The teacher is here, go back to your seat.

He got up, imitating his other classmates, and Mary did as well, confused about how suspicious his attitude was; Ruki also felt that there was something different from usual, but it didn't matter much to him: he didn't care at all.

The hours passed, during which the vampire behind the girl had repeatedly caught himself staring at her back or hair for no reason, analysing them in the slightest details: the shades, the light spots, the uniform's folds, the shapes wrapped by her clothes; he noted that he should have been careful in case Kou had been in the vicinity, since he would have probably poked in.

At the sound of the bell for the break, Mary headed at the speed of light towards the yard where she would meet with Yui and eat something with her; Ruki's irritated and Reiji's severe voices faded in the air like smoke.

\- Yui-chan! - she called her as soon as she saw a blond hair-head behind a bush; the girl stood up calmly and turned to her, smiling a bit. The brown-haired one, as she saw her appearance, slowed down her pace and halted to stare at her better, and at last she started to approach her until putting her hands on her shoulders.

\- _You're a vampire!_ \- she exclaimed in a low voice; she could see a few signs of fatigue, especially in the raspberry-coloured eyes: probably the final process had been quite exhausting. Yui widened her smile and put her hands on her arms, affectionately.

\- I'm glad to see you again, Mary-senpai! - she said, then looked at her with a perplexed expression - I see you're a bit... "devastated", as you would say - she added giggling.

\- Let's say... these last three days have been pretty... _intense_ \- she murmured vaguely, wobbling back and sitting on the bench, sighing; she didn't go into detail: before leaving the limousine, the three vampires (Azusa obviously had been too busy sticking to her arm, needing attention) had _kindly_ _requested_ _her_ not to speak about the small accident.

The neo-vampire sat down, exhaling a stressful sigh.

\- I suppose it was a heavy experience, the last stage... - Mary said; Yui nodded with a slight nod of her head, then she shake it.

\- Physically yes, especially for the thirst; mentally, not so much... living with six vampires for several months must have helped me – she briefly laughed - The problem is another...

She then fell silent, pointing her eyes everywhere, clearly undecided whether to continue or not; the girl was observing her in the meantime, pondering about Reiji's behaviour and making logical links between what she was seeing and what she knew; she came to the conclusion that it was likely about Laito, who she had almost forgotten after discovering that Yui had finally become a vampire.

\- How is Laito? - she asked blankly; she saw the blond stiffen, tense: Mary sighed - He forgot me, didn't he? Don't worry, I _knew_ this was one of the possible side effects...

\- _He didn't forget you_ \- she said, interrupting her; the other looked up but didn't cheer too soon, seeing the new-born vampire's uneasiness – He recalls meeting you... _but_... - she hesitated a moment - After solving the problem with the triplets' mother, I told you that everyone seemed to have changed a bit for the best. This was also true for Laito. _However_... it seems he's almost back to who he was _before_...?

Mary didn't have time to record and analyse every word; she was distracted by a familiar voice calling for Yui; she heard just those words, that playful tone, nothing else, as her heart went up in her throat.

\- Oi~ Bitch-chan, I was looking for... _Oooh_! - two emerald green eyes stared at the half-witch figure and he smiled at her, fixing with a gesture of his hand the hat on his reddish-brown hair - What a pleasure to see you again, _Bitch-chan_!

" _Micchan ~!_ "

The memory resounded in her mind at the same time as Laito's nickname for the both of them; then Mary comprehended what Yui had been trying to tell her, and for a moment she was amazed at Reiji's unusual attitude, as if it had touched even him, well knowing that the brothers weren't used to worrying about each other.

She didn't react at that awareness, not yet; she merely smiled at him.

\- Welcome back, Laito-kun - she greeted him, gazing at his figure with melancholy.

\- _Nfu_ ~ Ne, Bitch-chan, you look _sooo_ _exhausted_! Don't you feel like spending some time _with me_? This way you'll _relax_ \- he suggested, winking at her a mischievously and emphasizing the key words; Mary raised an eyebrow, faking a sigh of exasperation.

\- No, Laito-kun, there's no need. Thank you for the _generous_ thought – she ironically replied, cracking an amused smile.

\- _Eeeeeh_ , _boooring_ ~ - the vampire replied with his pursed lips, feigning a disappointed voice – That's really a pity. And I can't have fun with the other Bitch-chan, otherwise Ayato will skin me alive... _Bye_ ~.

Yui looked at her friend silently watching the vampire leaving; they didn't talk anymore, and they were unaware that a pair of lavender eyes had had seen everything.

* * *

Mary was slowly drawing, trying to impress Laito's image on the paper, as she had saw him last time before his coma.

" _You have brighter eyes_ ".

It didn't matter how many times she cancelled and sketched, no matter how meticulously she traced the various details: she couldn't get them, she couldn't retrieve them back. The cold and distant eyes of that morning had replaced them.

The girl brushed her hair abruptly, tearing off some, and kept on stressing the pencil on the sheet, rubbing the rubber on it, more and more frantically, until a hole appeared on the paper; Mary suddenly stoop up and crumpled the sheet in a gesture of exasperation, throwing it against the wall.

The crumpled paper rolled close to the slowly opening door, and Azusa peered from it, questioningly observing the girl leaning on her desk with her bent elbows and her face in her hands, massaging it in the attempt to appease a nervous crisis.

The vampire came in silence, closing the door, and approached her, hugging her shoulders as he heard her suppress her sobs; she jolted at first, but quickly adjusted, moving her hands to grab those limbs which were comforting her.

Azusa rested his head against hers, without speaking a word, and held her hand in his; a few minutes later, perhaps instigated by her scent, her proximity or the particular circumstance, he had got wrist close to his mouth and bit on it.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Sorry for updating so late, I had chicken pox T^T**


	15. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14_

Yuuma had given Mary's head a hard smack, nearly shoving her head against the wall.

\- _Mesubuta_. I said _NOT TOO MUCH WATER_ \- he scolded her, snapping his fingers against her forehead as soon as she had settled down to frown at him.

\- _Ouch_! - she rubbed the sore area, looking at the plants she was watering: definitely too much water - Ugh, sorry Yuu-kun, I'm a bit distracted...

The giant looked at her surly as she was retrieving some of that water with an absorbent paper (she had told him that she had learned that trick from her father) and pouring it where it was still needed; indeed, it had been two days, since they came back to school, since she had been behaving strangely: she had begun wearing gloves without a reason, Ruki would call her at least twice in order to be heard, she wouldn't get scared at Azusa's sudden appearances, she wouldn't answer Kou's naughty questions and... _she would have killed his garden._

\- AAAH! _MESUBUTA_! GET INSIDE, NOW! - he yelled as soon as he realized that she was about to step on his beloved tomatoes, the last of that season as the cold was approaching and the sun was paling; she pushed the girl towards the kitchen door, abruptly though holding her firmly – Come back when ya'll feel better! _Damn_ …

Mary looked at him getting back to his garden, slightly sorry, and mentally criticized herself for her recent lack of attention; she didn't noticed Ruki staring at her from the open door, puzzled, so focused on her that he almost jumped as he saw Azusa peering over his shoulder.

\- Izanami...?

Mary turned with her eyes wide and hostile, not after having shivered at that name.

\- _Do not call me Izanami_ \- she said with disturbed voice.

\- _Izanami_ \- Azusa tilted his head, innocent; she facepalmed.

They heard a laugh coming from behind the vampires: Kou was leaning against the door.

\- Neko-chan~ You've been strange, lately... Not that you weren't already before - was the snide remark; Mary narrowed her eyes, ready to use not really elegant words, but Ruki pinched her neck to stop her, getting a strange look from her, whose arm was hold by the lavender-eyed vampire's .

\- Nope~ Azusa-kun, I think that after yesterday's and the day before yesterday's bites you can also let her go for a bit~ I've never had the pleasure of sampling Neko-chan's blood - the blond pouted, looking at him dryly, with his hands resting on his hips in a fake serious gesture. Azusa scowled, whispering something to himself, disapproving his comment and clinging more to the girl.

Ruki sighed, brushing his hair, and returned to his chores, slightly chucking as Kou and Mary started a battle of harsh remarks followed by Azusa's comments; he thought it was almost like the girl had got back a little bit of energy: he had noticed her attempts to keep herself active and calm, despite having a very bad mood.

She gets depressed so easily, he pondered as he reading a recipe he wanted to try for dinner, _and yet the first time we met her... she was so determined, calm. Is being Izanami so much problematic? After all, Karlheinz-sama didn't tell us much, except that she is an important figure for his plan... and we have to help him. He saved our life..._

He tightened his fingers on the recipe book in his hands and put an end to his thoughts, realizing that they were doing nothing more than arousing several, useless doubts.

Or was it better to put them aside, _at the moment_?

* * *

Mary was looking for him, _everywhere_.

Since she had returned to school she hadn't been able to find any trace of that blond head and the melancholy shimmer of those ocean eyes; she had looked in the music room, on the roof, in the courtyard, in the less frequented classrooms and in the infirmary: nothing, it looked like Shuu had suddenly disappeared.

She had even dared to ask Reiji, who, with an abhorred grimace, had replied _he wasn't aware of the whereabouts of that slacker good-for-nothing and he wasn't interested in anything related to him_.

Thank you Reiji, we hadn't understood your hatred and your fratricidal instincts yet.

The girl had sat on a bench, sighing tired and slightly hungry; she had spent the whole break looking for him, even skipping the next lesson – who knows what Ruki and Reiji had thought in seeing the empty desk between them - and her usual meeting with Yui.

 _Where are you, Shuu?_

\- Shuu-san... - she whispered in a low voice, almost hoping that only _he_ could hear her and appear before her; she jumped out of fear as she felt a breath on her ear; she turned immediately and shouted - YUU-KUN!

Her reaction was welcomed with laughter by the giant, who walked around the bench in a few and wide steps, leaning his arm on her shoulders as a support.

\- Oi, _mesubuta_! Ahahaha, you got a jumpscare, huh? - he snickered, ruffling her hair - And what are you doing here, shouldn't you be in class?

\- I could ask you the same! - Mary replied, trying to move away that heavy arm in vain; the vampire stared at her, grumbling that he had asked her first - I was looking for Shuu-san...

\- Ah, _that Neet_... your lover, right? - he added, smiling mockingly; the girl blushed and looked elsewhere.

And in that elsewhere she saw him, with the uniform jacket on his shoulders, the beige cardigan over his shirt, his blond hair lit by the lights, the ear-buds in the ears; those ocean eyes making eye contact with hers.

\- Shuu-san! – the girl exclaimed with excitement, getting the giant off her, and headed closer to the blond as Yuuma watched her, seemingly impassive, but his lips were slightly bent upwards in a serene smile. He had never seen her being so enthusiastic, since troubles had fallen on her; it was time she had a moment of peace.

Unfortunately, it was _literally_ a moment of peace.

\- Ah... it's you... - Shuu turned to the girl, but his glassy eyes were focused on the brown-haired vampire, who frowned.

Mary at that moment didn't know what to do: try to talk to both of them, suggesting Yuuma could have been that friend Shuu believed had died in a fire, or let them talk between themselves? Would Yuuma have had a guess, or wouldn't his memories have given him any clue? Would Shuu have had the determination to step forward, or would he have withdrawn as always?

The girl approached the blond, taking his hand, thus making his gaze shift on her.

\- Shuu-san... try to ask him... - she pleaded with her eyes.

Shuu widened his blue orbs, astonished that she had understood so much about him; he turned to Yuuma, staring at him intensely, then back to her tense face. In his mind he saw pictures of Edgar, apples, his town on fire, and the very human boy going to save his family without returning, because a human being is a fragile life; he remembered the first time he had bitten Mary in the music room and what she had told him: " _The fire would kill me, if I didn't escape on time_ ".

 _But Edgar... he survived_ , he thought, and then his face darkened, _it's not sure that she will be safe, if something happens to her... and I don't want to... feel again... that suffering_ ; he stared deeply into her eyes as he felt her grip on his hand, and this visual contact looked like a farewell to Mary: Shuu moved away, lowering his head, for he didn't wish to get fond of people whom he would surely lose later.

\- Stay away from me... It's better if you stay with them - he murmured, turning his back.

\- Shuu-san...? But I... I... - _I love you. Look at me. Please. Look at me!_ , she continued in her thoughts, widening her eyes and approaching him.

Shuu turned, but to give her a fierce look, threatening her:

\- _Do not come any closer_! - he hissed on her face, coldly, almost towering her despite their only ten centimetres of height difference - You're _just food_ to me and with me you would have _no_ _chance_ _to survive_! – he narrowed his eyes - With them you will be safer.

Mary kept motionless and saw him leave, unable to speak; she was reached by Yuuma, who had witnessed that with his mouth open, surprised by the blond's sudden snap, and he mumbled that that guy had some serious problems. He glanced at her with a sorry look, and he tried to give her a few pats on her back, since he didn't know what was better to do (and couldn't have done because of his pride); however he stopped.

Shuu was moving forward, determined in not getting involved with the half-witch anymore (despite heart and mind, miraculously, had joined forces to tell him he was an imbecile) when he suddenly fell to the ground after being violently hit on his back by an object, his face on the ground; he lifted himself slowly on his hands and knees, looking forward as he complained about the pain and widened his eyes at realizing that a bench had been thrown at him: he knew very well who had done it and he would have tell _her_ off. Or this had been his aim before standing up to address her aggressively.

He lost voice in seeing her silver-coloured eyes and her slightly whitened hair, her fists tight and her seemingly furious grimace.

\- You lazy, immature, deadbeat, irresponsible, weakling, _gokutsubushi_ , _sloth_ , _COWARD_! - Mary screamed at him, with as much anger, disappointment and resentment she could express; tears slipped down her cheeks - How much longer are you going to hide yourself? How much longer will you think _living_ is useless? Do you really think that living means _either just being happy_ , _or just suffer_? Do you really think it's not worth it to do something, struggle, _make efforts to live_?! How much longer do you think you'll go ahead without doing anything, withdrawing into yourself, _wearing yourself out_?! _SHUU_!

Silence fell, interrupted by Mary's knees dropping on the floor and her sobs.

* * *

\- How is she~? - Kou asked, fiddling with a lock of his hair. Yuuma sighed, annoyed.

\- Nah, she's okay. Venting helped her alleviating the shock. Even I think that idiot was really an asshole. Try finding a girl as much in love and devoted like her - he mumbled, cursing at some insects who were partying with his potatoes.

\- Mh... - the blond thought - _Dunno_. Don't talk about love, I know nothing about it – he said, getting beck in, looking for the very girl, whom he found sitting in the living room while reading one of the books borrowed from Ruki.

As he saw her browsing those pages, he took on an expression of disgust, for reading wasn't for sure one of his favourite hobbies, rather the opposite: to him it seemed such a sad, cold and gloomy activity... no, he preferred bright colours, cheerfulness, the stage lights, the music competing with the voices of the fans charmed by his figure and voice!

\- _Neko-chan_ ~ - he chirped, sitting beside her and pulling the book out of her hands; Mary glared at him and huffed.

\- Do you have anything to ask me, Koucchi? - she questioned. The blond ignored her for a moment to read the title of that volume: Fëdor Dostoevskij's _Crime and Punishment_.

\- Mh, it seems boring - he tossed the book onto another couch, then turned back at her, who had looked with anxious eyes the book's journey, then exhaled a sigh of relief when it had landed safely - Why do you like reading? How can you isolate yourself with your nose in the paper when there are people whom you can hang out and have fun with?

Mary observed him a bit before answering.

\- Even reading can be a source of fun... and I don't just read, every now and then I do hang out with someone, if I can - she said, arching an eyebrow, perplexed. Kou curled his lips, not convinced yet.

\- But how can you have fun by reading? _You're just reading some words_!

\- _And you just sing some words_ – Mary replied and, before Kou, after a moment of silence, could argue back, she added - On the stage, you use your voice, your dance, the lights; in the books you use your imagination.

Afterwards, they fell silent, one reflecting on what he had just been told, the other staring at him waiting for him to react, in one way or another.

Kou frowned out of antipathy, because the girl was most probably right, and at the same time also because this concept of imagination was partly unknown to him; frustrated, he pinned her wrists, made her lay on with her back on the couch and straddled her.

 _And I'm irritated by her sincerity and firmness too_ , the blond thought, getting closer to her neck as she protested that he could have been gentler with her if he needed to feed; he sniffed her, tasted the skin with his tongue and sank his fangs in her tender flesh, greedily sucking that scarlet, aromatic nectar... the blood of a hybrid, _Izanami's blood_.

The girl gritted her teeth and kept calm, waiting for the vampire to finish his meal; she caught sight of Ruki staring at them emotionless, outside the living room, then grinning at her questioning gaze and leaving. As if to say "it'll be my turn, sooner or later"; Mary was convinced that it was going to be _sooner_ than later.

* * *

Yuuma was gazing at the night sky, partly cloudy and partly clear, and counting as much stars as he was able to spot.

\- "Make efforts to live", huh... - he murmured, remembering her words addressed to Shuu; or better, those words were addressed to the whole world.

* * *

 _\- Mary, Mark._

 _Stroking her belly, a woman with white curls, aquamarine eyes and a crystal voice, pronounced the two names. In front of her, another woman with purple hair and green, like envy, eyes scowled at her, with hate; she said:_

 _\- Even if you gave birth to Izanami... our father will not notice you. You're his shame... he preferred me over you even if I wasn't born a demon!_

 _The woman with clear eyes stared at her blankly, then turned._

 _\- I don't care, sister. I will live for myself. Not for the other - she murmured; she left._

Mary suddenly woke up and turned on the light, massaging her temples and trying to remember all the details of that dream: it probably was a fragment of something that had happened in the past to her mother. She got up, yawning, and looked around the room, sleepy, until her gaze fell on her bare feet; her fingers were transparent; she swallowed, returning to bed and turning off the light.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	16. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15_

It was during the lesson before the break that Mary's class was struggling over a tough Physics pop quiz; fifty minutes had already passed and the girl and Ruki had already finished answering their questions twenty minutes before, while Reiji was only re-reading and checking for the hundredth time that it was all flawless, from content to calligraphy.

The bell rang at last: those who had yet to finish were agitated, scribbling everything that the mind could still suggest; some exited the class after delivering their test sheets to the teacher, heading towards the school cafeteria; others did everything quietly, including the two vampires and the half-witch.

Ruki saw the girl stand up with her hands in the jacket's pockets and leave for the place where she would have met with Eve.

He grinned, before realizing that Reiji was standing in front of him, serious and firm.

\- Yes? Do you need anything, Sakamaki Reiji?

\- Just a curiosity... a few days ago, I happened to hear one of your brothers calling that girl "Izanami". I thought it was a simple nickname, until Yui-san told me that you call her "Eve" - he narrowed his eyes - I may be imagining things... these are pretty important names for some cultures and I wonder if they don't hide a particular meaning...

The other smiled enigmatically as he stood up and stared into his eyes.

\- Oh? Didn't your father ever say anything to you? _Heh_ \- he snorted, taking the bag with his books and his school notes - He must consider you inept individuals, for not telling you about it. _Goodbye_ \- he said, keeping his mocking grin on the lips, which widened as soon as he felt nerves breaking when he passed the door to the hallway.

Walking beside the windows for a couple of minutes, he caught sight of the two girls meeting and sitting on the usual bench, chatting; he paused and looked around the surroundings, finding a pleased Yuuma who was watching her from the roof while eating an apple. He raised an eyebrow: his brother seemed a little annoyed too; his gaze shifted to a distant blond far away, that was the eldest son of the Sakamaki family leaning against a wall, seemingly asleep. And he noticed his painfully black eye.

He snickered, then returned to the two girls: they were laughing, or rather, Eve was, Izanami was just smiling and talking, calmly, as if nothing was bothering her at the moment or had never bothered her. He remained at the window a few minutes more, thoughtful, then went to find a quiet place to sit and read his damned book.

A few minutes before the break's end, Ruki was back earlier as always and satisfied with his punctuality; unlike as usual, someone else was already in front of the classroom. Mary was standing before the window, silent, in the same position as he had been.

The vampire stopped and carefully observed her, melancholy, eyeing the roof. Following her gaze, he realized the girl was looking at Shuu Sakamaki, who had moved just to lean on the railing; in those dark eyes, he saw her desire to approach the blond again and the frustration of not being able to get close to him.

Ruki frowned: he couldn't explain the reason, but the sight of it was kind of irritating him; after all they had taken the girl to choose one of them, so that they could achieve Karlheinz's goal. _It was necessary to choose one of them_ : _they were so grateful to their saviour_... And the fact that she had a crush (it was a simple crush... _right_?) For Shuu Sakamaki wasn't helping them with their plans at all.

The young man, after having called her, went to class to keep on attending the following lessons; he saw her glancing at the roof once again and gritted his teeth, vexed.

* * *

\- KOU! _BASTARD_! GIVE ME BACK MY SHRIMP!

Ruki glared at Yuuma, engaged in one hell of a fight against Kou to defend his portion of fried shrimps; he sighed and reproached them for their bad manners. Azusa watched the brothers carefully, ready to grasp under their nose some of the shrimps; Mary was slightly smiling, her face resting on her closed hand, moving each shrimp with her chopsticks a little to the right and a little to the left before putting it in her mouth and chewing it, absorbed in her thoughts.

The girl at some point sensed a stinging feeling on herself and, turning her eyes, she met with the lavender ones of the vampire sitting on her left (on her right there was Ruki, casually), concentrated on staring at her intensely.

They exchanged glances, her questioning him, and him indecipherable; until she offered him some shrimps of her portion; Azusa smiled softly and thanked her, taking a couple of them. Mary snorted amused and returned to her plate, ignoring the fact that he had moved closer to her, happy.

Kou widened his eyes upset and slammed his hands on the table, turning to her, who had jumped because of that sudden gesture; Yuuma muttered to him to calm down, reproached by the eldest brother with a "Look who's talking".

\- _Eeeeeh_ , Neko-chan, you gave _your_ shrimps _to Azusa-kun_? _It's not fair_! - he complained, referring probably to those shrimps that the little brother had already stolen from them, while Ruki was trying to placate his nerves and telling him to lower his voice's volume.

\- I don't mind…? I'm not very hungry - she murmured, cracking a nervous smile; the giant was looking at her, worried, thinking that she hadn't eaten with much appetite in those recent few days and his thoughts became curses to a certain blue-eyed vampire...

\- _Eeeeeh_ \- the blond uttered, puzzled, then stood up eagerly - Then you won't mind if I take your left shrimps?!

\- _KOU_! – both Yuuma and Ruki told him off; Azusa gave them a somehow perplexed look.

\- Mh-hm - she shook her head, lifting the plate toward him – Here you are.

The two brothers stared at her as if she had been a ghost with thirty hats on its head (?) as Kou was rejoiced and benefited from her kindness.

When they finished, they cleared the table and brought the dirty dishes to the kitchen, where Ruki and Yuuma stayed as determined by the shifts.

\- Ruki - he called him at a certain point, as he was drying the freshly washed plates and stacking them in the cabinets above - Why is _she_ wearing gloves recently? She doesn't even take them off when we're eating...

\- She's becoming _transparent_ \- Ruki replied, grabbing the glass that Yuuma had dropped after he had carefully analysed the words that he had just heard; he was looking at him with his mouth and eyes wide open.

\- _HUH_?!

\- _Don't yell_. The process to become Izanami requires the body to become transparent - his brother briefly explained, after glancing at him; the other frowned, trying to mentally figure out the meaning of that and snapped again.

\- Doesn't that mean she'll become _invisible_ ?!

\- ... No. _Transparent_. You can distinguish the shapes, but you can see through.

\- I'd prefered the clothes, it would have been interest-...

\- _Yuuma_.

The giant was silent, breaking in a clod sweat in front of Ruki's glare, and returned to their chores while listening to Kou and Mary's bickering, she suggesting to the blond to read something; the eldest brother approved her aim, despite finding it vain. And yet he had to change his mind as soon as he came out of the kitchen, the situation quieted down all of a sudden: Kou, lying on an armchair with his legs in the air and leaning on his elbows, was reading a book while the girl was sitting satisfied on the couch, cross-legged, beside Azusa, who had laid his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes.

Yuuma's laughter was still audible even when he retired to his room, but the blond was reading that book with such an engrossment in the plot that he wouldn't have moved by a millimetre even if a helicopter had been about to hit him.

\- What did you make him read? - Ruki asked, sitting on another armchair, leaning an elbow on the armrest and resting his face on his hand.

\- _Alice in wonderland_ \- she replied with a triumphant smile.

The vampire grinned.

\- Heh. Not a bad choice, I had never thought of it.

Mary gave him a smile and he felt sinking into the armchair, ignoring the cause.

\- Please excuse me - she got up after gently moving Azusa's head against the edge of the seat - I'm rather tired, I'll go back to my room...

That said, she took her leave, examined by the vampire; Kou didn't notice anything, that book had really dragged him into the land of wonders.

Ruki read the book which he never parted from _, probably for the thousandth time_ , and waited a few dozen minutes; he put the book on the side table and walked away from the living room, heading upstairs; the two brothers were sleeping, the blond having fallen asleep during the pleasant and miraculous reading (surely Yuuma would have made fun of him the next day).

The young man knocked on the girl's bedroom's door three times, waiting for thirty seconds each; slightly impatient, he pulled down the handle and came in furtively, noting that she had apparently fallen asleep on the bed, among pieces of paper spread over the sheets and on the floor.

He stepped ahead, laying his hands on his hips and arching an eyebrow at seeing all of her hair (so much hair, it didn't look that way when well combed or tied) dispersed, almost hiding a part of her body under a large dark spot; he lowered himself on his knees to pick up some of her locks touching the floor and put them on her back, moving them a little further since they were slipping back to the ground.

\- ... _I'd cut all of your hair_ , Kachiku... - he whispered, grinning at seeing her fidget in her sleep, almost perceiving his evil intentions.

He glimpsed the letter that Mr Ari had handed over to Mary. Before grasping it, he quickly questioned his conscience (or rather correctness) and shrugged, with a mocking smile on his lips, pulling out the folded letter from the envelope, carefully reading the content and getting more serious as he went on.

His reading ended at the point where the woman wrote about her daughter's sudden appearance during her pregnancy one month after the conception; the letter was made up of two sheets, in fact, and the second wasn't inside the envelope. Ruki frowned and looked around in the room, looking for the missing part and, irritated, put the letter back where he had found it, on the desk.

He looked back at the sleeping girl, who had turned around in the meantime, an arm stretched on the mattress, and the other resting on her belly; he listened to her uneven breath, as always pointing out mentally that it seemed _forced_ and, after hearing it several times, _suffering_.

He leaned over with his body, leaning against the bed with one hand to keep his balance, and with the other he moved a lock of hair away from her pale face: her eyelids and the rest of the skin around the eyes were flushed and at the corners of the mouth there were signs of a grieved grimace.

Ruki sighed.

\- I considered you more interesting. I am disappointed, to get so depressed for so little... just because of him...

Ruki knew that Mary, at least in those days, was crying because of what had happened with the Sakamaki family's oldest son; anyone could deduce it, because all the pieces of paper scattered on the sheets and on the floor were dozens and dozens of different portraits of the blond, drawn with pencils of graphite, saguine, or ink.

 _Izanami_? _Laito_? She would have had patience, she would have endured, and she would have reacted to change things in better as much as possible; she could have always tried to restart her relationships with Laito again, and concerning Izanami... she had prepared for this.

With Shuu Sakamaki it was a quite different matter: not knowing what had happened in the past between Mary and Ryan Plum, Ruki couldn't understand why she was so traumatized; human beings weren't able to love sincerely, so what could one expect from a vampire, a creature that was worse when feelings were involved?

Her mother had said she loved him, yet she had abandoned him.

... _Had Sakamaki Shuu ever told the half-witch he loved her_?

Something was itching him in the chest, as he immersed in those complex thoughts that concerned the relationship between Mary and the lazy vampire.

Something was irking him, and at the same time something else was deeply distressing him: _why was he feeling this way_?

Two minutes of silence passed, all motionless except for the chest of the girl rising and lowering because of her breathing.

Ruki sat on the bed's edge, resting his hands to the sides of her head, and lowered her torso until she found her nose a few inches from the girl's face; he observed her intensely, then moved to her neck, sniffing it and tasting her skin with his tongue. If the scent was very inviting, this gesture soaked his taste buds with an aromatic flavour.

He sank his fangs on her flesh and drank avidly, after having longed for her blood with patience for days: he knew that she had been "polluted" by Sakamaki's, so he had waited for his brothers to "cleanse" that essential liquid to their nature.

\- Ru- _Ruki-kun_...? - Mary stuttered, waking up and jolting out of surprise, putting her hands on his shoulders to make him get off her - You could also have woken me up first... _agh_!

But the vampire tightened his grasp, folding his arms under her back, keeping on feeding on that scarlet nectar; the girl closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, trying to tolerate the pain, though it was less intense than with the other vampires...

\- _Hi_...!

… forget it. She let out a suffering groan and her eyes watered; she perceived Ruki's grin on her neck, who got off.

\- Your blood... has a _singular_ taste... it's not like Eve's... sweet, inebriant... but it satisfies the thirst... and _tempts to desire more_ \- after these words and having ripped her sweatshirt, he bit on her shoulder, with a hand resting on her face, grasping her chin, and the other holding her arm.

\- _Those low-beings_ \- he said in a whisper - the Sakamaki's don't deserve this blood. They wouldn't even deserve Eve's, but now she has found her Adam. _Even the firstborn is not worthy to be chosen by you_ , _Izanami_.

Mary widened her eyes and replied, resentful.

\- Don't you dare involve Shuu-san! _It doesn't have anything to do with him_!

Ruki snickered, lifting himself and stared at her eyes quietly, though she felt an unintelligible but unpleasant feeling within her chest; then he narrowed his cold eyes.

\- _Give up on him_. Izanami doesn't need a companion who can abandon at any moment - he lowered again, sticking his hand to her cheek, after drying a tear - _Choose me_ \- he smirked again - You need me...

... _and I need you to repay the favour to Karlheinz-sama_.

Mary saw Ruki's face approach hers more and more; the distance between their lips decreasing more and more.

* * *

\- Yuuma-kun~ Did you hear that noise? Azusa-kun and I were sleeping _so well_!

\- It came from Mesubuta's room... _Boh_.

\- ... Aren't these... _Ruki and Izanami_ 's voices...? Ruki... sounds really angry...

\- ... It seems that Neko-chan... _hurled him against the wall_?!

\- I don't want to be Mesubuta's shoes right now. _No way_ , _brr_.

* * *

 **Thanks fo reading~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	17. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16_

Three weeks had passed, during which the Mukami brothers had bonded a lot with Mary, establishing an almost fraternal relationship with her; perhaps it had been the ability to cohabit and collaborate under the same roof, perhaps the mere agreement among so different personalities, or something incomprehensible had connected them, beyond their intellectual capacity. Although Ruki's affection was something slightly different, not reciprocated in the same way by the her.

Kou had learned to enjoy reading, of course not with any book: historical novels, love stories, and philosophical volumes weren't his cup of tea (the latter genre wasn't to Mary's taste either); he liked reading light and funny stories, which didn't required great reasoning skills to understand the plot. Yet, when she had recommended _The Little Prince_ , the blond had been mysteriously fascinated by it. He didn't have much fun, but he had felt something warm growing within his chest; melancholy, perhaps, born from the encounter with the Little Prince's character.

Whenever Mary would read on the living room's couch, after a few seconds Kou would join, sitting next to her with his back on the seat and his legs against the backrest, or lying down with his head resting on her lap; at times, when he would come to a boring point, he would fall asleep, and the girl smile slightly, caressing his hair, often hovering on the locks covering the eye used to read people's hearts.

They rarely argued, and Kou would sometimes get annoyed, perhaps because of some whim or disagreement; he would talk about his plans, rehearsals and concerts, make her listen to some of his CDs and ask her for some advice to match clothes.

Yuuma and Mary's relationship was bizarre: they would hear the two screaming insults and snipes at each other from the garden (especially in this period they were preparing the garden and the trees to endure the forthcoming cold); at home they looked like brother and sister, Yuuma messing her hair up and joking (sometimes embarrassing her - without mentioning the "ocean eyes" issue), Mary smiling and lightly punching him on the shoulder. Kou would look at them, arching an eyebrow, confused; Azusa was clearly jealous and he felt neglected, after all Yuuma was _his_ brother and Mary _his_ Izanami; Ruki... whenever he would meet with them, he would _order them to get out of his way straight away_ : he couldn't bear their _lively_ atmosphere.

He had seen them once in the living room, asleep on the couch, her head on his shoulder: if Azusa hadn't threatened to cut himself everywhere and dirty the whole house with his blood, probably Kou would have had Yuuma and Mary's steaks for dinner instead of vongole bianco.

The giant was the only vampire who would sense a curious feeling, during the sleeping hours, and got up and teleport into the girl's room, lying next to her on his side and caressing her back or head until her face would relax, tormented by nightmares.

With Azusa, Mary had got to know exasperation: she would find him everywhere, at any time, wounding his body; her hair would stand up on her head, she would smack her cheeks with her hands as in Munch's picture _The scream_ and try to stop him from shedding more blood, reproaching him like a mother with his son. Azusa would say "Do you... hate me...? Don't you want... me to be happy...?", interrupted by her pinching on his cheeks, pointing out that he didn't need to cut himself if she could pinch his cheeks; it had _almost_ worked: he would avoid using his knives in front of her, otherwise...

He liked observing her drawing, asking her to tell him about the hidden meanings and the stories behind her paintings and how she had learned to draw, how to use watercolours; he understood that, as he somehow couldn't give up on Justin, Melissa, and Christina, Mary couldn't help but draw: it was her soul, her thoughts, her outbursts, her happiness.

Mary didn't like Azusa appearing behind her. She knew that vampires could teleport, but the young man would often been behind her since a while; the girl was able to perceive the others' presence in the surroundings, yet he was an exception: she had _never_ been able to sense.

The relationship with Ruki was exhilarating. After being hurled against the wall, the vampire, who didn't appreciated it at all, had taken the necessary measures to avoid similar episodes, without giving up his authoritarian attitude, grabbing her head with one hand and gazing at her gloomily when something wasn't okay, as she would crack a nervous smile and apologize; when they were cooking or washing the dishes together, sometimes they would fight, sometimes they would work peacefully - like a married couple ( _he wished_ ); during tea time, they would converse about literature (especially detective stories), homework and so complex topics that the other brothers would stare at them speechless - Azusa would just tilt his head, his cup in mid-air.

He would watch her from the window while chatting with Yui, smiling as she laughed, frowning as, after Eve had gone back to her classroom, Mary turned her gaze to the roof to look for some a blond head; and just those three times she had crossed that person's ocean eyes – who disappeared immediately after - Ruki had waited for her after school in her bedroom to bite her, angry, hiding behind his eyes the bitterness.

On the other hand, Mary was well aware of his feelings (she had had the previous experience with Subaru...), without being able to do anything: she couldn't treat him with compassion or kindness because she would have risked deluding him, nor she had the courage to discuss about it; Ruki himself had made her understand this, perhaps because he didn't want to admit his own feelings ( _Tsundere_ ).

The girl seemed to have recovered from the small trauma, even though it was obvious she wasn't pleased with the Izanami issue and she was missing Shuu; but at least she had started throwing objects to those who would annoy her, using her sharp tongue to reply to mischievous observations, and smiling with more energy. And above all she was proudly defending her food during meals.

She had got deeply fond of the Mukami brothers; moreover, after Azucchi, Koucchi and Yuu-kun, she hadn't given up choosing the nickname for the eldest: _Ki-kun_.

(General laughter from the other three)

Her arms and feet had become completely transparent and she had decided talk about it with those who were still unaware, Kou and Azusa: the first had said that she was becoming like a glass statue (she had asked herself if she would have become _as fragile as a glass statue_ , too...?), the latter had begged her to verify how a wound on transparent skin looked like, instantly rejected with Yuuma and Ruki's support as the little brother had chased after her enthusiastically throughout the house.

About her past and the ghosts haunting her at night, she had got used to it. She couldn't explain to herself why she had dreamt about other people's past, like her mother; maybe there was some hidden meaning, but she would have talked with her mother as soon as she would have had the opportunity to meet her.

At last, it was the last week of October.

* * *

Mary sneezed, blowing her nose in her handkerchief. Sitting on her right in the limousine, Yuuma looked at her puzzled, wondering if even witches could catch a cold: she turned slowly towards him, impassive, with a strawberry-like red nose; Kou was holding back from laughing and Ruki pointed out that the girl was a hybrid between a witch and a demon, unheard.

\- I can repair wounds, regenerate tissues, undo the effects of poisons, but I can't avoid some viruses and bacteria - she explained, mentally noting that couldn't defend herself even from the _Miriandola Bluetta_ parasite; fortunately, Kou didn't read her mind, she wouldn't have been in the right mood to bring up that episode to them.

\- Cover yourselves, then! - the giant exclaimed, leaning his arm on her shoulders and ruffling her hair – Just a sweater won't warm ya up!

The girl was wearing just a heavy sweater over her shirt, as if she had no clothing suitable for the cold season; which was true: the only winter coat and the only autumnal cloak she had owned had worn out during the previous seasons and she had got rid of them just before meeting Karlheinz and his sons.

This time the blond read her thoughts.

\- _Eh_?! _How come you don't have much clothes_?!

Ruki raised an eyebrow.

\- _Don't you have any coats_?

\- Those she had were discarded in March because they were worn out - he replied, incredulous - But I can't understand, I know _girls_ who have _dozens_ of coats and you _had_ only had one and a _lousy_ small cape?!

Mary narrowed her gaze, offended by the adjective attributed to that fabulous indigo-coloured small cape that Theo had given her for her fourteenth birthday, and which had lasted three autumns and three, almost four, springs; annoyed, she told him:

\- Sorry if I'm not the classic example of a girl.

\- I like you this way, Izanami - the youngest brother said, seated on her left and as usual clinging to her arm.

\- You'd like Izanami even if she was fat, Azusa-kun - Kou sharply commented before realizing the girl was glaring at him.

\- Have you got a problem with _chubby_ people?

Yuuma stifled a laugh; he had called her chubby a dozen days before, after having entered her room as she was changing and having got a heavy suitcase on his head.

Before the half-witch could have tackled the blond, the five of them had already reached the school; they went to their own classrooms, after bidding farewell with a mere nod of the head, a grouchy muttering, a timid look, a happy exclamation, and a slight smile.

Once in the classroom and seated at their respective benches, Ruki took advantage of the missing minutes to the beginning of the lesson to read his book, while Mary searched under the desk for the spare pen that she had left at school in case she lost or ended the one she was using: she found both that and a similar object, but, touching it carefully, it had a large and soft extremity and it felt... fresh.

She pulled out the pen and the unknown object, widening her eyes: it was a white rose.

 _In October?_ ; and the thoughts outlined in her mind Subaru's figure. She smiled gently and put the rose under the bench, taking a look to check it better and seeing a note in a hasty and very simple calligraphy: " _Sorry_ ".

* * *

\- _Subarucc_ -...

- _DO NOT CALL ME LIKE THIS AND STOP FOLLOWING ME_!

Kou was watching and laughing at the scene in front of him, from the terrace: Subaru was escaping from Mary and probably had already travelled for the third time around school building; Yui was with the blond, staring at the two with a glimpse of amusement and worry, knowing that such a race would have created problems to the half-witch. Who, in fact, collapsed later to the ground, panting because of the fatigue and the difficulty to breath.

But it was all _planned_.

Mary had decided to run so much on purpose.

She knew the albino would have helped her if she had fallen.

Certainly he would have stopped and have reached her to make sure she was fine.

\- O-Oi! _Are you ok_?! - as expected, Subaru hurried towards her and bent on his knees over her to help her stand; she leaned on him with a last, immense effort and embraced him tightly, making him blush and gasp.

\- Subaru-kun! - the girl exclaimed, tightening the hug.

The vampire raised his hands to take her off him, hesitant; at last, he patted her back twice, looking up, embarrassed, and gritting his teeth, and they stayed in that position until Kou's whistle made him get off her to address him with a thousand insults and a shaking a fist towards him.

\- Subaru-kun is a casanova~ ehehe!

\- OI, _YOU BASTARD IDOL_! COME HERE AND TELL ME IF YOU DARE!

Mary laughed and invited the two to come down and join them, ignoring the albino's shocked look; the blond agreed to, and took a surprised Yui in his arms, jumped down from the terrace, scaring the neo-vampire for good, who, once on the ground, shuffled to embrace her friend in search of comfort.

In the meantime, the vampires were fighting as if there was no tomorrow (?): the two girls examined them, while Subaru was yelling like a crazy man and Kou switching from a playful façade to a heavily annoyed grimace; the two girls exchanged empathetic looks.

\- They will become great friends, huh? - Mary smiled.

\- Mh, if you say so... but they certainly don't hate each other - Yui replied, looking at them - If they _really_ hated each other, either they would ignore each other, _or they would have already killed each other_.

\- _Vampire logic_ , huh - the other nervously laughed; her friend imitated her.

\- Yeah... Even if...

The half-witch looked at her curiously, noticing her more serious tone.

\- I think _feelings are not just for humans..._ They... They say that vampires are cruel... cold... that they don't feel "human" feelings - she stopped, breathing - But I disagree... If even humans themselves can be cruel when they preach peace, union so much... then even vampires can nourish affection, feel happy... _if the circumstances allow it_.

Mary looked back at the two vampires who were holding each other by the jacket; she smiled and looked up to the dark, cloudy sky.

 _The stars are always behind it._

 _Yes, my dear sister. I hear them singing... And you see them. You see All and Nothing._

"We're all creatures ... we love, we hate ... we suffer, we rejoice ..." he murmured.

 _We hope, we believe... we fall, we deceive ourselves..._

\- _We live_ \- the two girls added simultaneously.

Kou and Subaru were looking around themselves, the first one brushing his hair and the other rubbing his neck; they suddenly stretched out their hands to each other.

\- Let's start again... ? - they mumbled in unison.

They resumed their quarrelling, klutz as they were.

\- _Shopping_?

\- Exactly, Neko-chan~ Let's go!

And the next evening Mary had been dragged out by the blond to the stores.

* * *

 **Thanks fo reading~! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	18. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17_

She shook her head twice, slowly because she felt she was having a slight headache, expressing her disagreement with Kou's opinion: according to him, the bright yellow coat in the store's display window would have suited her.

\- No. _Never_.

\- Neko-chaaan~ - the blonde complained, pulling her arms - You need cute and lively clothes, yours are _too much_ simple!

 _But I'm fine with that!,_ the girl mentally yelled in despair, looking behind her: with only a scarf wrapped around his neck, Yuuma was quietly munching sugar cubes, Azusa was looking among the various stores for an interesting one, Ruki had a dreadful face, annoyed by that sudden and futile change of plans.

Why dragging the whole family when Mary could have gone outside _by_ _herself_?

This way, they would have also spent the entire weekend before she found a coat suiting her taste: Kou would keep on taking her to the most expensive and popular stores, recommending her pricey and flashy jackets and coats which she didn't like at all; and she couldn't even raise her hand to say "But I want a simple black or gray coat" that the blonde was already grabbing her and moving to another store, once it became clear that it was useless to insist with his advices.

Left behind, Ruki would shout at him to stop, then forced to retrieve back the giant who had been dangerously enchanted by the sweets' store selling discounted packs of coloured sugar cubes; the youngest brother would speed up his pace to reach the half-witch, as a chick following its mother, rubbing his face against her shoulder and wrapping his arms around hers.

Mary shuddered as she ignored the blonde's very accurate review of a jacket, wondering whether all idols or similar professionals were experts in fashion; she clutched her sweatshirt, cold, gliding through the shop windows with her eyes, trying to resist the temptation to stop by the ones selling artistic tools and restock her watercolours.

 _Thinking about it, I finished the metallic colours..._

Then, in a moment of distraction during which Kou had been recognized by two fans, Ruki had closed his eyes, massaging his temples irritated, and Yuuma had quickly saved the jar of sugar cubes slipped out of his hand, Mary and Azusa had disappeared. The three brothers had first looked at each other, then examined the surroundings and stared back at each other: the blond was pale, the giant's eyes were wide opened and the oldest... had a very frightful expression on his face.

After about ten minutes searching after the two and wondering why they couldn't perceive their smell, they met near a bench as prearranged; a bench where those they had been looking for were waiting for them: Mary with a satisfied smile, wrapped in a dark grey winter coat and holding a plastic bag with the store's logo "Colours 4 life", and Azusa half asleep, his head resting against her shoulder and his hand tangled with hers; the giant saw in her hands a box of painkillers for headaches.

\- Neko-chan! - Kou uttered horrified - Did you buy it without me?! Nooo, that color is _sooo_ _sad_! - he complained, shaking her shoulders as she remained calm and satisfied.

Yuuma snorted, teasing her about that absurdly serene expression; Ruki, instead of reproaching them for disappearing, showed a pleased grin, stating that it was time to return home, as the goal for which they had gone out had been achieved. The blond waved his arms to protest, breaking in a cold sweat in front of his brother's glare; the giant murmured that it was really time to go back, pointing with his head pointed at the peacefully sleeping vampire.

\- I wanted to spend a nice evening with Neko-chan and my dear brothers... since I wasn't busy with work today, and we didn't have any lessons... - the blond murmured, pouting.

Ruki opened and closed his mouth, unable to answer, the other rubbed his nape, looking elsewhere with a slight blush on the cheeks; Azusa opened his eyes a little and lifted his head, staring at the brothers with a sleepy face, Mary blinked thoughtfully, then stood up and approached Kou.

She grabbed his hand, holding it.

\- Shall we go and eat something, Koucchi? We usually have dinner at this time...

Kou widened his eyes, then smiled happily at her.

\- Yup! It's my treat! - he exclaimed, jumping to wrap an arm around her and with the other grasping Azusa's hand and pulling him to surround his shoulders, and proceeded towards a restaurant where he was used to dine during lunch breaks.

Ruki didn't oppose and followed them, cracking a small smirk, and Yuuma did the same, quietly; he stopped just a second to look back; he thought he had seen a familiar person, but he didn't care anymore: that moment was too good to ruin with his bad feelings.

* * *

\- You really love hazelnuts... - Ruki murmured, slightly upset by the triple dessert the girl sitting on his right had ordered: a cream puff filled with hazelnut ice-cream, hazelnut mousse and a small slice of cheesecake with hazelnut cream.

Mary blushed and mumbled that for once it wouldn't be bad eating more sweets, backed up by Kou on her right, who had eaten five courses of _vongole bianco_ , after all...

Azusa was watching them as he was munching gingerbread cookies, disappointed that they weren't as spicy as he had hoped for, and slightly unhappy that he wasn't sitting close to _his_ Izanami; Yuuma, between his youngest brother and the oldest one, was eating his dessert made of caramel chips.

\- Don't complain if I call you _chubby_ , then, ehehe.

The water he had in his glass went to his face.

\- _MESU_ -...

\- _Yuuma_ \- Ruki silenced him in a moment, with a look that could have frightened the Devil; the giant bit his lips, choking the wave of curses and insults towards the half-witch who was staring at him with an innocent smile and at the same time with a pleased gleam in her silver eyes.

\- Izanami, your eyes - Azusa warned her with a murmur, losing himself in those bright irises that returned dark as soon as Mary blinked.

\- Ne, Neko-chan - Kou said at one point, licking his lips stained with the cream covering his ice-cream and fruit parfait – You have a twin, haven't you?

The girl nodded, swallowing a teaspoon of mousse.

\- What's his name, again? – the blond asked again, chewing a piece of pineapple with a little _fiordilatte_ ice-cream.

\- Mark.

Ruki frowned, thoughtfully, as he ate his lemon sorbet; Mary and Mark, why did those names begin to sound _so familiar_ , put together...? He then thought, casually, that they both started with the same three letters and they both had four letters; surely, the one who had given them those names hadn't been very original...

\- _MARK FLYER_?! - Kou suddenly screamed, making Azusa jump on his chair and almost provoking Yuuma's choking with a sugar cube; Ruki raised an eyebrow and the sherbet slipped from the spoon into the bowl.

Most of that restaurant's customers were looking at them silently; the girl was nervous under all those eyes, wishing she could disappear underground.

\- _Ops_... sorry, hehe - Kou giggled, feigning an innocent smile.

Someone murmured the blond's name and "idol", but soon everything went back to normal; the oldest brother glared at him and the half-witch looked at him questioningly.

\- Isn't your brother the same one who is running that famous music blog? - Kou looked very excited.

\- Oh, that blog... well, he doesn't really manage it, but he gives the necessary directions to write the posts... - Mary said, placing an elbow on the table and her face on her hand, reproached by Ruki who didn't want to see _any elbows on the table_.

 _Reiji is enough, Ki-kun._

\- Ah - the blond commented - Why isn't he the one running it? - he asked, swallowing an entire ice-cream bal.

\- _Animal_ \- Ruki and Yuuma remarked, disgusted by the blond; the older turned to the other, vexed, and began _discussing_ about his own table manners and the giant felt a nerve pulsing painfully.

\- Kou, Mark-san... is blind - Azusa said instead of Mary, who nodded, adding that their friend Theo was in charge of the site; then she fell silent, slowly chewing the cheesecake.

\- _Kachiku_? - Ruki called her, interrupting the _lively_ conversation with the giant.

 _I'm here with Theo, Aneki._

 _You'll find us in an electronics' store next to a pizzeria._

 _Keep on eating calmly._

 _You know how long does it take for Theo to choose what he needs._

The half-witch smiled and turned to Kou.

\- Koucchi, would you like to meet my brother?

* * *

Mary could no longer bear all the blond's curious questions.

\- But does he look like you? How tall is he? What does he wear? Does he have the same personality as you? What is his favourite colour? Does he really know how to play any instrument? Is he popular with girls? _Does he have a sister complex_?

\- _Is he chubby too_? - Yuuma snickered.

The last two questions worsened her mood, and before she could snap, Ruki had put a hand around her neck, rubbing it _gently_ to threaten her not to make another scene in public; the girl puffed her cheeks, keeping on walking arm in arm with Azusa, who caught her attention after a few moments by lightly pulling the hem of her new coat.

\- Azucchi? - she gazed him curiously, looking in the direction pointed at by his finger; she smiled and reached the person whom the shy vampire had (strangely) recognized.

 _Aniki!_

 _Aneki..._

The sister wrapped her arms around the waist of a young man who returned the hug by surrounding her shoulders and affectionately resting his head against hers; he was a few centimetres shorter than Yuuma, wearing a half-opened large grey hooded jacket, which other layers of clothing could be seen below. He was wearing an indigo beret on his head, not hiding the pink-dyed locks of hair reaching the base of his neck, around which there was a headset with the MP3 player integrated.

They stayed like that for exactly five minutes; Ruki cleared his voice, making them part away, as Yuuma stepped ahead, with a perplexed face.

\- Hey, we're still here, Mesubuta and _Momo_ -kun.

The twins turned at the same moment and stared at them with the same, impassive expression on their face: Kou doubled up with laughter, Azusa widened his eyes at their resemblance, Ruki smirked and Yuuma bit his lip to hold back from laughing.

\- Yuu-kun, he's Mark... - she began, turning her shoulders to her brother, who wrapped his arms around her, leaning his chin on her head.

\- Not Momo-kun - he concluded with a very faint and delicate voice; if Ruki could have compared it to a concrete image, he would have said it was like a petal.

\- Oooh! - Kou leaped forward, grabbing the guy's (gloved) hand and squeezing it – Nice to meet you, I'm Mukami Kou! I'm a big fan of yours, your blog is really interesting and captivating! - he introduced himself with a wide smile.

\- Ah, Mukami Kou the idol, right? - Mark muttered, his eyes still and blank – _You're talented_ , _but your voice is broken_.

Silence.

\- Eh? – Kou whispered, the shadow of his smile still on his face, eyes wide opened.

The brothers were silent: they suddenly felt like the frost had wrapped them, even though it was the last week of October. Mary felt deeply tense and telepathically reproached her brother for not holding back his opinion.

 _Ops._

 _Aniki, baka!_

Fortunately, Theo came right in time, causing an earthquake.

\- _CHOOO-HIMEEEEE_!

Yuuma lost his balance and fell on his back; Ruki's inseparable book slipped from his hand; Azusa massaged his ears pleasantly surprised by that voice that had almost broke his eardrums; Kou slammed his hands to his ears, hearing only a strange whistle.

Some pedestrians looked around, dumbfounded; some shop windows had cracked, cats were meowing, dogs barking, and the lights of some street lamps were flashing at irregular intervals; some machines had _risked_ swerving.

Twins, who were used to that and now immune, had both slapped their friend who had just reached them by running, putting a hand on his head and apologizing a thousand times with a guilty smile and bowing every time.

He turned to the four brothers and quickly shook hands witheach of them, picking up and returning the book to Ruki and helping Yuuma standing up from the ground, the giant who had finally witnessed the strangest thing happened in his whole long life!

\- Nice to meet you, I'm Theo, the best friend of... - he paused, leaping behind the twins and hugging both of them - Markucchi and Cho-hime! - he exclaimed, smiling and affectionately squeezing the twins, one emotionless, the other snorting with a smile and rolling her eyes.

\- Did you cause... that earthquake? - Azusa asked before they others could, approaching the newcomer who grinned and nodded, rubbing his nape - _Can you also hurt me_? - he asked again, his eyes gleaming.

Mary immediately stood between the two, ignoring the perplexed face of her friend, and grabbed Azusa's shoulders, scolding him to stop looking for physical pain everywhere and pinching his cheeks as if to appease his thirst for pain.

In the meantime, Kou had given an indecipherable look to Mark, obviously unaware, also because he was focusing on the sound sources coming from the surroundings; Ruki was observing him, absorbed in his thoughts: he was digging into his memory, in search of something he couldn't really explain to himself...

Yuuma noticed that, besides the other small differences such as the height and the thicker neck, the girl's twin had a slightly different eye shape and it reminded him a little of his own eye shape... and he had the same green spots the giant had in his own eyes.

\- Neh, Theo-san... why do you call her _Cho-hime_? - the youngest brother questioned at a certain point, once Mary stopped lecturing him.

\- Because she is _Butterfly Princess_! - he exclaimed, showing a smile even more idiotic than usual; she blushed, and because of Azusa's confused look and his brothers' questioning ones, she sighed, raising her hand.

Five butterflies appeared on her finger, lilac, white, grey, light green and pastel blue: Kou widened his eyes, surprised and excited; Azusa smiled faintly, enchanted by those delicate creatures; Yuuma wondered if those insects had infested his garden all the time, snickering; Ruki was smart enough to link those butterflies to her telekinesis, finding an explanation, and at the same time his mind was sending him other hints.

He frowned as soon as a memory re-emerged among his thoughts, along with the image of a white-haired woman...

\- Oi... _Kachiku_... - he called her with a whisper, but he wasn't heard because Mary was busy communicating telepathically with her brother; he had nothing to lose anyway, because he would have come to the conclusion shortly thereafter.

\- Cho-hime, by the way, we're with... ah... - Theo interrupted himself, seeing the twins engaged in their secret conversation.

\- Have you come with mother? - Mary looked at her friend, who nodded.

\- Oh, we'll get to know Neko-chan's mother too?! - the blond exclaimed – She's a demon, right? – he asked, imagining in his head the woman's appearance.

Ruki became very tense.

\- _Izanami's mother_? - Azusa repeated, excited; knowing the half-witch, he was expecting a sweet and friendly woman (he wasn't completely wrong, but...).

\- Is she, too, a princess? - the giant joked, ruffling the girl's hair, ignoring her protests, while her brother turned his face slightly towards his voice, thinking about where he had already heard a similar one.

\- Well, she's actually called _Glass Lady_... - Mary murmured, grabbing the vampire's arm and trying to get it away from her beloved hair; maybe shaving it completely would have helped? She would have regretted it though... Ryan... had told her to make them grow...

 _Aneki, don't think about the past. You become all melancholy and depressed._

 _Sorry. That pink?_

 _I wanted to try it... you don't like it?_

 _It suits you better than expected._

 _You'd be pretty with purple. Or dark blue._

 _Dark green?_

 _Nah._

As they were trying to call the twins back to reality, the vampires and Theo were interrupted by a woman's clear voice.

\- Good evening, dears. Theo, don't yell, please. Mary, my lavender flower, straighten your back. Mark, my sweet nightingale, hands out of your pockets. And you…

The vampires widened their eyes, speechless; at last, Ruki remembered everything.

Before them, a woman slightly shorter than Mary was smiling and gazing at them with noble aquamarine eyes; they recognized that fair face framed by long white curls, the cobalt dress similar to a kimono down to her feet, and the crimson overcoat with laced hems, shades recalling the _wagasa_ , the typical Japanese umbrella, she was leaning on.

It was her, the Glass Lady. The same woman who had visited Karlheinz in the mansion where they had lived for a while, about fifteen years before. Only then they realized that the girl they had been living with those weeks and the guy they had just met were those same twins she had brought with her that day, those three-years-old children who, with her lively big eyes and with his shy and scared face, had wandered everywhere.

\- Ruki-kun, Kou-kun, Yuuma-kun, Azusa-kun. _It's a pleasure to see you again_ , _dears_.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Please let me know what you think of the story! °w°**


	19. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18_

Ruki had been reading another book belonging to the mansion's large library; Karlheinz had generously invited him to take advantage of the presence of so many untouched and precious tomes, with mysterious and full of knowledge contents. Absorbed by the paper and the binding leather's scent, his ears had heard a noise coming from the door.

He had looked up, curious to see whoever had just interrupted him, but strangely there had been no one, though he was sure someone had to be there because of the scent: he had turn his eyes too much upwards; if he had lowered them, he would have notice a couple of about three-years-old children venturing into the library.

Then he had sighed, mentally calling himself a fool, and, standing up, he had headed towards the shelves on his right, near the staircase leading to the mezzanine where the most interesting and oldest books were kept.

On the rungs, he had seen one of the two intruders, a dark and ear-length haired boy, his face in his hands and elbows on his knees, bangs almost covering his dark and glassy eyes.

\- Hey - Ruki had called him, approaching him a little and looking at him severely; the child had raised his face calmly towards him, as if he had expected his arrival.

It had been at that moment that the vampire had seen the _emptiness_ in his eyes, not gazing at him _directly_ : he was blind. He had sighed again.

\- Are you the Glass Lady's children? - he had asked; the other had nodded - Why are you here? - he had asked again, looking around for the other child, sure that she was nearby.

\- _Aneki_ loves books... - he had replied with a gentle and fair voice – She is curious.

Ruki grinned, snorting.

\- _Curiosity killed the cat_ \- he said, then he had felt hands clinging on his trousers' cloth.

He had looked down and met another pair of dark eyes staring at him intensely; the girl had her lips curled and her cheeks puffed, almost as if she had been sulking or offended.

\- I can't take that book! - she had lifted her hand, pointing to the book that was actually on a very high shelf.

Before Ruki could have lifted an eyebrow and tease the little girl because she was still too short to grab objects from higher places, someone had _abruptly_ entered, slamming the door and yelling:

\- HEY _BRATS_! I KNOW YA'RE HERE!

Recognizing the voice, the vampire had sighed _again_ , massaging hi nose bridge and preparing to reproach the grouchy brother who had reached them shortly after, gazing angrily at the twins hidden behind Ruki's legs, clinging to his trousers (to his slight annoyance).

\- Yuuma, _don't shout_ \- he had told him coldly, glaring at him; the giant had rubbed the back of his neck, objecting.

\- These two parasites were picking up the flowers in the garden!

\- They were already dead! – the little girl had promptly replied, sticking out her tongue and causing his eye to twitch out of irritation.

Ruki had had his lips hidden by his hands, amused by the girl's reaction; in the meanwhile, he had perceived the other two brothers getting close to the library due to the racket the two had caused by arguing about the presumed death of those flowers.

The little girl's brother had remained behind legs, his gaze downwards and the expression mild and attentive, like a cat that was listening to any sound.

The vampire had _once_ _again_ sighed, stopping his brother and flicking with his finger the little girl's forehead, rubbed by her as she had mumbled and murmured a kind of "sorry"; Ruki had smiled, pleased, and walked to the shelf to grab and give her the book she had pointed at, cracking an amused smile at her grin as she had sat on the floor to browse through the volume.

He had wondered how she could have read, since it wasn't really possible for a three-years-old child; carefully examining the book from above, he had realized that she was going to focus on the illustrated figures, even though he had also noticed her first efforts to read the larger and uppercase letters. Kou and Azusa had come in, questioning and receiving explanations grumbled by the giant; the little boy, who had sat on a trunk after Ruki had left, had observed them, trying to memorize their voices and communicating at the same time with his sister.

* * *

Ruki bowed his head respectfully, greeting the woman in front of them; Kou cracked an embarrassed smile, remembering that time a glass of raspberry juice had slipped of his hand on her clothes, which he couldn't still forgive himself for; Azusa smiled happily and approached her to squeeze her hands, reciprocated to his great joy; Yuuma rubbed his neck, desperately murmuring some more correct and polite words.

\- Good evening... ma'am...

\- Good evening, Yuuma-kun – the Glass Lady replied with greater confidence, raising her face to his and keeping that proud and calm smile; she paused for a moment, observing his face and eyes' features, mysteriously – You're in a good shape!

With slightly reddened cheeks, the giant grinned and then frowned as soon as Kou hit his side with a playful elbow.

\- My dear Azusa-kun, you're still cutting yourself off - she said with a slightly strict voice to the vampire who looked down, whispering that he couldn't help it – It'd be a good idea to learn how to bandage yourself neatly and cleanly, my dear - she caressed his hands, before approaching Kou.

\- Unfortunately I hadn't had the opportunity to listen to one of your song yet, Kou-kun, I've been quite busy... I'm deeply sorry.

\- Ah...! N-no, don't worry, Glass Lady, you don't have to apologize... - the blond stuttered, sincerely intimidated by her presence, albeit peaceful and benevolent; or perhaps he couldn't forget what he had done, since Karlheinz had reproached him harshly, even though she had forgiven him heartily.

At last, the woman turned to Ruki, repressing an amused huff at the sight of his book.

\- Ruki-kun, thank you for hosting my daughter in your house. I hope there were no problems - she added, narrowing her eyes.

Mary was about to answer her, as the twin frowned, as if to say "No, little sister, don't do it": her mother turned to her before she could even utter a single letter.

\- _I'm not talking to you_ , _Miss_. It's rude to break into other people's speeches, my lavender flower.

His daughter kept quiet on the spot, with no surprised or frightened expression, and as soon as the woman returned to the vampire, she looked up to the sky, telepathically communicating her usual complaints to her brother: they had been bearing with their mother's good-manners mania since forever...

In the meanwhile, Kou was thinking about on the half-witch's nickname, realizing for the first time in more than three weeks that the girl's scent was really a lavender's one; if Yuuma could have read his thoughts, he would have made a sarcastic applause.

\- Don't mention it - Ruki smiled politely – Don't worry, we didn't have any problems...

Ruki and Mary exchanged a look concealing a world war in their heads; the Glass Lady widened her smile, satisfied, and turned to her daughter, approaching and examining a curl of her hair after gently lifting it with her marble-like white fingers.

\- Mary, there are so many things I still have to tell you... but we'll do all of this calmly. I saw Karl's sons nearby and I'd like to take the opportunity to speak with all of you.

The girl blinked, surprised: she never imagined that the Sakamaki brothers would have gone shopping together; surely wrapped in an completely different atmosphere than the one with the Mukami brothers...

 _Scent of dried flowers~..._

 _And I'm walking through the fog~..._

 _Walking through the fog~..._

 _I missed "Labyrinth" by Elisa..._

 _Want to talk about Jeff Buckley?_

 _Please, oh my God, I become melancholy..._

\- Mary, Mark! – their mother called them back to reality after ten minutes she had been exchanging other pleasant dialogues with the four brothers, while Theo had been staring at the two friends lost in their thoughts.

- _Sorry, Mum_ \- they said in unison, turning to her at the same moment; she was the only person, besides the twin, whom Mark could rest his eyes on correctly (causing his poor father's great jealousy, even though it wasn't his fault).

The Glass Lady sighed and invited all of them to follow her, heading to the place to meet with the other vampires, whom she had promptly left a message to; the Mukami's could only wondered about _how_ , Theo had swallowed, the twins... had broken in a cold sweat at the idea of the devices their mother would use to communicate, having literally tested them on their own skin.

 _Even if you're stuck in the bathroom, you'll get the message due to higher forces._

 _Disturbing._

 _And they're scared of me because I hear everything._

 _Because it's nice to hear the voices of the dead who want to keep on living while you're trying to sleep. Really nice._

 _Sleeping without you in the other bed was a torture._

 _Don't you say. I missed you, aniki._

 _Me too, aneki._

\- Mark, Mary, if you entertain yourself again in your mental conversations I'll have to use more forceful methods.

Ruki snickered sadistically, enjoying the view of the half-witch that was obeying to her mother while sulking a bit at the same time; Mary glared at him.

* * *

Silence reigned on the Sakamaki brothers and Yui, sitting in front of the Glass Lady who had decided to have the Mukami's and her twins sitting on her sides; to be more precise, they sat in this order: Shu, Subaru, Ayato, Yui, Reiji, Kanato and Laito on one side, and Yuuma on the other side (in front of the blond whom he had turned an indecipherable look to), Kou, Azusa, the Glass Lady, Ruki, Mary and Mark.

Theo didn't join them, preferring to stand as a "guard", as he himself had said. He had always been used to keep away at such times: at school, he would always be the one tidying up the classroom before and after the lessons; at the house he was living with his friends in, he would either fix mechanical gimmicks or be busy elsewhere to carry out the same activity, as the others would gathered during meals or for short moments of leisure. Despite his big smiles and his cheerfulness, he was the most isolated of them all, and the twins were two of the few people who had the honour of spending more time with him.

\- Reiji-kun, it's a pleasure to see you again... it's been about nineteen years since we last met, hasn't it? - the woman spoke softly, intensely staring at the vampire who swallowed, deeply irked by the effect she had on him.

\- You're not wrong, madam - he said, trying to keep calm as much as possible - Your second and last visit dates back to the 20th of September, nineteen years ago.

Mary made a quick mental calculation: her mother had already been expecting them, at that time; her mother nodded and, before proceeding with her speech, she remembered...

* * *

She had entered the sumptuous abode, reaching the living room where Beatrix, Christa and Karlheinz's sons had been waiting for her according to a butler's indications - thank God that he hadn't been there as usual, otherwise she'd have committed a homicide.

Heading into the wide hall, she had been warmly welcomed by Christa, who had looked to be in perfect mental health at the moment; unfortunately, centuries ago, the Glass Lady had witnessed her first manifestation of mental imbalance.

\- _Onee-sama_! - the female albino had exclaimed with a smile full of enthusiasm and eyes shining with joy. After all, they hadn't seen each other in years.

 _What a cutie my Christa, she still considers me a big sister_ , the woman thought smiling affectionately, holding her hands.

\- Christa, what a pleasure to see you again. How are you, my dear?

The female albino, as it rarely happened, had begun to chat heartily with the demon, perfectly at ease and almost forgetting about what was around them.

The Glass Lady had noticed in the shadows her son's lurking figure, who had been looking at her with an indecipherable expression, with a certain incredulity in his eyes; she had thought that probably his mother wasn't used to behave that way so and felt deeply sorry for the young man.

A few minutes later Beatrix had entered the room, followed by Reiji, with an elegant and proper attitude, and Shuu, who was clearly bothered.

\- Beatrix, what a wonderful expression - the woman had teased her, giving her an understanding look; the blonde had sighed.

\- Your irony is always welcome - she had murmured, not quite convinced with her own words, but the Glass Lady's personality was a cure-all to Cordelia's pestering - It was very kind of you to come specifically to visit us, despite your errands.

\- Oh, let's not talk about the... after all, _I've been disowned by my family_ \- she had smiled at her; the blonde's eyes had been veiled with bitterness, soon returning inexpressive.

In the meanwhile, her sons had looked somewhat surprised: they had never heard their mother talking in a so... _serene_ way?

\- You are Shuu-kun and Reiji-kun, right? - the demon had turned to them, observing them with mysterious eyes; the second son had made a slight but respectful bow.

\- Yes madam; it's a great pleasure to make your acquaintance.

The blond had just nodded, earning a scornful look from his brother and a reproach from his mother, who hadn't looked at her second son even once. The Glass Lady had mentally taken note of this.

\- It seems like you've split yourself in them, dear Beatrix - she said jokingly.

The blonde had stared at her intensely, imitated by her sons, making her let out a laughter; then the demon had turned to Christa.

\- Dear Christa, you haven't introduced your son to me, yet.

\- Right away, Onee-sama! - the female albino had smiled, at first a little lost in her thoughts (the woman had feared for a moment a crisis) - Subaru? Come closer...

The son had come out of his hideout, keeping away from everyone in the room and nodding his head to the demon, whispering a faint "nice to meet you"; the woman had given him a sweet smile and got closer to him, who had jolted and looked around in search of an inexistent escape route.

She had grabbed his hands between her own, squeezing them.

\- _Look at me when you talk to me and when I talk to you, Subaru-kun_.

Subaru had widened his eyes, stiff, feeling an abnormal fear awakening in his soul's depths. Had she just... _threatened_ _him_?!

The Glass Lady had smiled satisfied and turned away.

\- Where are the triplets? – she had asked, turning to the door where those three had appeared, pleased - Perfect timing, Ayato-kun, Laito-kun, Kanato-kun.

The first one had sneered, exclaiming:

\- Of course it's perfect, what do you expect from the Great Me!

\- Nfu~ That again, Ayato-kun... Nice to meet you, anyway, Glass Lady~! - Laito had said winking, with a theatrical bow.

\- It's a pleasure to meet you... this is Teddy... - Kanato had greeted her, staring at the woman hesitantly. Was this woman really their...

\- _Auntie_ , huh? Nfu~ - the older brother had whispered, watching her attentively.

The Glass Lady had waited a few seconds before speaking again, immersed in her thoughts, starting a conversation with some of them, while others had kept silent and listened, or ignored and looked disinterested; she had noticed certain moments of tension, particularly while interacting with the young vampires.

Subaru had felt deeply uncomfortable, though relieved to see his mother in a good shape for once; _annoyed_ , Reiji had felt inferior to the demon, who had pointed out several times some mistakes about his manners; Shuu had thought she was too much cheerful to be a several hundred years old woman; Kanato had had nothing to complain about, happy with the sweets his aunt had brought; Ayato had finally felt appreciated, thanks to the relative's attention; Laito... couldn't figure out what to think about her... she had looked so different from...

... _her_ , who had come half an hour later, addressing her sister with a glare full of hatred which her sons had never seen before.

\- _You_ \- she had whispered with despise.

\- Cordelia! My little sister... – the other had smiled; her eyes filled with other emotions.

* * *

 **Sorry for the late update, I had been busy with University!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading! ^^**


	20. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19_

The woman stared intently at the triplets, smiling.

\- You don't know whose mother I am, yet, and...

She turned to her twins, not after asking Ruki to politely withdraw a little with his chair.

\- You don't know whose sister I am, yet.

Mary and Mark were perplexed for a second, and then connected everything through those two sibylline sentences; Laito, mute and immobile, sensed the brain suggesting something and Ayato and Kanato took on confused expression, the former huffing.

\- I'm the elder sister of the late Cordelia - the twins noticed a veiled contemptuous, but melancholy, light in her eyes - and I'm Mary and Mark's mother.

Silence.

Reiji blinked, eyes wide open; Shuu was speechless; Subaru raised his eyebrow in disbelief; Ruki was still and inexpressive; Yuuma was looking uncaringly at the table's surface; Kou mumbled that the family connection between Mary and the "triplidiots" was bothering him; Azusa was nibbling his finger, jealous (?); the triplets themselves had become statues out of shock.

Mary rubbed her neck, clearing her throat without being able to express anything; Mark was facing upwards, as if he had been suddenly attracted by some mysterious and celestial entity; Theo was smiling like an idiot; Yui, taking courage in the mid of that embarrassing silence, turned to the Lady of Glass, while a chorus of voices in the half-witch's head was intoning a lyrical song of praise to the neo-vampire.

\- This means that Ayato-kun, Kanato-kun and Laito-kun are Mary-senpai's and Mark-san's cousins, right?

The woman nodded, smiling.

\- Exactly. I just regret I've never managed to say it as soon as possible, because of my duties...

\- Don't worry, Mum - Mary interrupted suddenly, almost without realizing it, her hands joining apologetically to her mother's disapproving look.

Ayato burst out laughing.

\- I can't believe it! I'm related to an _ugly witch_...!

\- _And I with a megalomaniac idiot_ – she grumbled in response, resting her head on a hand, bored, as the red protested, displeased, and Subaru grinned, amused.

\- _Holy words_ \- the albino said, turning mockingly to the brother who glared at him.

\- Ayato, Subaru - Reiji called them, fixing his glasses with a nervous gesture – Mind your manners; postpone your fight, _without resorting to hands_ \- he pointed out, trying to avoid any more damage to their mansion later on. Finally, he turned to the Glass Lady, who had witnessed the scene with an amused smile on her lips.

 _They seem much more close to each other than last time...,_ she thought.

\- This explains why I had sensed other life forms in you, madam, nineteen years ago - he said, shifting his gaze to the woman's twins, who nodded again.

\- Eh~ Me and Bitch-...

\- _Laito-kun_ \- the aunt scolded him, keeping on smiling, but with a sharp and hostile look; the vampire shrugged and pulled his hat down, as if to hide.

Mary gave him a melancholy look, before crossing her eyes with Shuu's ocean ones, who had been staring at her for a long time, deep in thought: that very visible and fresh bite on her neck was bothering him a lot.

\- I hope not to be indiscreet, but I'd like to know what kind of duties you were talking about - Reiji stared into the woman's eyes, trying to keep himself composed and not to be overwhelmed by the tension he felt in her presence.

\- To put it simply, we're having some problems in the Demon World - she began to explain - Some people with whom we had made agreements in the past got tired of respecting them and, since I was one of the moderators at the time, I am obliged to resolve the situation, along with _your father_.

The six brothers froze; the Glass Lady wasn't surprised at all by their reaction, on the contrary, she seemed almost pleased by it.

\- This is the big problem on one side; on the other, it seems that lately this city has been a destination for a couple of hunters...? – she went on, moving her eyes on Mary who confirmed - Well, while we were just a few kilometres from here, Mark had perceived the presence of several other hunters... In fact, unfortunately, when you happen to cross ways with hunters, whether you drive them away or kill them, the result is always the same: either the surviving hunter returns to warn his colleagues, or his sudden disappearance alarms them and makes them come to inspect the place.

Reiji narrowed his eyes and Ruki looked very serious.

\- What a bother... Does that mean we'll have to be more cautious from now on? - Shuu grumbled, rubbing his neck tiredly and rolling his eyes to the sky; Yuuma raised an eyebrow, wondering if there was at least one thing which could make him more... _alive_.

The Glass Lady smiled, satisfied that he had understood the message behind her words; the blond snorted, annoyed, not without receiving a contemptuous look from the spectacled brother as usual.

Ayato snapped, protesting that he wasn't that weak to avoid fighting some hunters: after all, between vampires and humans, the formers were indisputably stronger; Subaru and Kanato agreed with his words, specifying that it wasn't just about "Ore-sama", annoyed.

\- Some of them are not completely human, and others have acquired powers through genetic modifications - Mary replied, suddenly raising her tone as if she had suddenly gotten nervous about something.

The Mukami brothers, the Sakamakis and Yui opened their eyes wide and stared at the girl, speechless, surprised by her unusually abrupt attitude, being used to a more calm and personality, agitated only in certain particular circumstances, and surely not at the moment.

\- The hunter who was with Richter had abnormal abilities and the one I met about a month ago with them - she continued, pointing to the four brothers - was the daughter of _abused witches_.

Reiji repeated the last two words with a questioning look, asking her to explain who she was referring to; the Glass Lady, having detected her daughter's distress, deflected his attention for the moment, turning to Yui and Mary.

\- Girls, it wouldn't be bad for you two to spend some time together, what do you think? You just see each other at school, it'll be relaxing to hang around the city like real friends outside the school walls.

The two ladies exchanged looks, the neo-vampire slightly intimidated by the invitation that she knew was more like an order (having lived with the vampires, she knew how to recognize the difference) and the half-witch grateful to her mother for having avoided the topic they were about to face; they both got up, ignoring Ayato's chorus of protests, and left, heading for the exit of that place.

\- Theo, Mark, watch over them - the woman recommended to the two young men, at last.

The first nodded with his usual stupid grin and took his leave; the other seemed to vanish, but, judging by the movement of air, they realized he had moved at top speed.

\- Back to us... - the woman began, looking into the vampires' eyes one by one.

 _Before talking with Mary, I must try to appease this youth's spirits._

\- I have very important matters to discuss with you, and they concern you.

* * *

\- Why are you here? Do you want to prove you're a daughter worthy of our parents?! - Cordelia had shouted, once she had locked herself in a room with her older sister, whom to "talk with" in private. The green-eyed vampire had thought she would have punished Ayato later on, having sensed his presence behind the door, eavesdropping with Kanato and Laito (who _obviously_ weren't going to be punished); though he was old enough, this wouldn't have held her back from scolding him _properly_.

The Glass Lady had cracked a smile and bowed her head, examining the rich patterns of the tiles; she hadn't discarded the possibility that her sister would have discovered since the first moment that she was pregnant, or involveed the fragile relationship they had with their family.

\- They're twins, aren't they? You have the same smell I had then... - the vampire murmured, clasping her hands on her hips: she knew her older sister, having married a wizard, would have had more chances to give birth to hybrids... and therefore...

\- _Mary_ , _Mark_.

Caressing her belly, the white-haired woman had pronounced the two names. In front of her, the little sister with eyes green like envy, had frowned at her with hatred.

\- Even if you were to give birth to _Izanami_... our father will not notice you. _You're his shame_... he preferred me even if I wasn't born as a demon! - she had snapped, sharply.

The woman with clear eyes had looked at her impassively, then turned away.

\- I do not care, sister. I will live for me. Not for the others - she had whispered, in her voice had been an imperceptible crack, almost melancholy; finally she had moved away, to return to Beatrix and Christa in order to bid farewell to them.

Cordelia had bitten her finger, frustrated; she should have given birth to Izanami, not her older sister who had been _disowned_ by their own father for her anti-conformist ideas: this way she would have risked her place as favourite and the Glass Lady would have replaced her, having shown her superiority, albeit unwillingly accepted by their family.

But no. _She had given birth to three inept males_.

\- _AYATO_! - she had shouted; her son had stiffened in his hiding place, knowing well what would have expected him; in the meanwhile, in his heart depths, he had already begun to plan his bloody rebellion, tired of those tortures...

* * *

The Glass Lady stared at the pensive, slightly uncomfortable young men, including the Mukami brothers; the woman had decided to start with the topic concerning Eve and Izanami, explaining their father's intentions the same way as in that letter addressed to her daughter (possibly avoiding new criticisms directed at Karlheinz, knowing that the four adopted sons respected him).

If there was a person seemingly enjoying the news, it was Ayato, with a pleased and self-confident smirk on his face.

\- He, there's no problem! – he exclaimed, standing up and resting his hands on the table – Ore-sama and _Chichinashi_ are the chosen _Ibu_ and _Adamu_! Certainly my successors will be the best (still less than me)!

Reiji, Shuu, Ruki, and Kou massaged their ears to his crippled English; he had never been that good in this subject...

\- But if _Ibu_ is set up... the ugly witch? - Ayato continued, looking at them perplexed and then snickering - Who _wants_ the ugly witch?

Kou shot a mischievous glance at his older brother who looked back with an expression which the blond thought of comparing to that of an enraged demon, shrinking out of fear; Azusa, realized the reason behind that strange way of communicating, curled his lips, a little jealous.

The Sakamakis, in the meantime, had all turned to look at Shuu, who had arched an eyebrow and sighed, rubbing his neck and grumbling his disagreement (or so he wanted to make it appear).

\- Don't look at me...

\- _Of course_ you won't look at _this idiot_ \- Yuuma interrupted him abruptly, standing up and glaring at the older blond, who stiffened before raising his eyes to him, annoyed.

\- Nobody asked for _your_ opinion.

\- Hah! Like I care, _Neet_!

\- So why did you intervene, _brat_? - Shuu frowned, even more irritated; the giant felt a pulse throbbing painfully and slammed his hands on the table, aggressively snapping at the Sakamaki family's first-born.

\- "BRAT" WHO, YOU PIECE OF SH-...

\- _Yuuma_! - Ruki rebuked him, nervous at the tense atmosphere of the moment; the the others exchanged some questioning glances at the inexplicable dialogue between the blond violinist and the giant, and the Glass Lady had observed them with an impassive face and her eye focusing on every single detail.

\- Oi~ there's no need to be so violent, nfu~ _Subaru is already enough and too much_.

\- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, _YOU DAMN PERVERT_!

Before Subaru could physically attack Laito, and Yuuma and Shuu could beat each other up (in the meantime they had went on fighting with Azusa waiting for the right moment to get between them and receive a punch in the face), Kou had raised his voice:

\- _Reiji-kun_ , _why are you laughing_ ~? - he had asked in a playful and at the same time cunning voice, having caught him in the act of smiling secretly at the quarrel between his older brother and that vampire whose face he had recognized...

The young man had fixed his glasses, clearing his throat as soon as everyone's eyes had fallen curiously on him, waiting for an explanation; Shuu was staring at him wide-eyed, as he had a bad feeling about it, and Yuuma observed him intently, certain that there was something strange among them, something that was linking them in some way.

\- It almost looked like you were enjoying Shuu-kun and Yuuma-kun's fight... - Kou added, widening his smile more and more; behind his bangs, his right eye turned red.

Reiji allowed himself five seconds of thinking before showing off a sadistic smile.

\- I find it rather amusing that both of them were such great friends a hundred years ago... and now they are even worse than dog and cat - his eyes lit up with malice, dwelling on Shuu, apparently indifferent but entreating with his eyes, and Yuuma , who was recording and connecting in his head the necessary to understand his words.

The giant admitted he remembered nothing of his past, which Reiji reacted to by replying that perhaps it was better that way, after the fire that had destroyed the village where he had lived with his family; the blond widened his eyes and began to break in a cold sweat.

\- Reiji... _be quiet_.

\- Don't you dare, _Neet_! I have the right to have answers! - Yuuma growled at him, grabbing him by his cardigan's collar, while the spectacled vampire enjoyed the scene - Tell me what happened in the past! We were great friends, _right_? _And then_?! _Why_ there had been that fire? And _why_ have you never told me _anything_ ?! _HUH_?!

Shuu gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, trying to find the energy to answer and in particular the words to use.

\- Because it's my fault. I didn't want to care about you... a mere human being... I started the fire, that time.

An icy silence fell into the room.

The blond looked down, not paying attention to the MP3 player detached because of the lack of delicacy by Yuuma, who was staring at him in disbelief and shock; Reiji widened his eyes and almost retorted, but was preceded by Kou who had slammed his hands on the table, getting up furiously.

\- _LIAR_! It's not true that you started the fire! Don't lie! - he hissed at the vampire, who was about to repeat that he was the cause of the whole tragedy.

At that point the other vampires were all exchanging puzzled looks, more or less uncomfortable among all that commotion; the Glass Lady wasn't speaking: the matter concerned them and only them, so she wouldn't have intervened.

The giant looked at Shuu.

\- Why the hell did you lie, _Neet_?

\- It's... my fault, anyway. If I had avoided meeting with you, you could have saved yourself...

\- No, _NO_! - Kou shouted, angrier than before, while Ruki sighed exhausted - You're lying to yourself! It was _him_! – he pointed a finger at Reiji, who frowned – He started the fire!

Shuu and Yuuma turned to look at the young man who, with a stiff and slow gesture, fixed his glasses on his nose, again.

\- Reiji, _you_...?

\- It was you, _four eyes_?

Silence followed and the room temperature seemed to decrease dramatically.

\- _That's enough_ \- the woman's voice broke that silence – You'll be able to carry on this issue at a more opportune and reserved time and, I'd recommend you to sort it out without resorting to violence – she narrowed her eyes at Yuuma who looked away.

\- It was a pleasure to see you again and I think it won't be long before we meet again – she smiled enigmatically, and then turned to the triplets - before dismissing everyone, I'd like to have a little chat with you. Follow me, please.

The woman stood up and walked to a secluded corner of the room, where she settled into a chair and the three vampires took a seat on the sofa in front of her, a little under pressure.

In the meanwhile, Subaru, Kou and Azusa looked at them curiously, while Ruki made sure not to have a triple homicide occurring among Yuuma, Shuu and Reiji: the three of them were exchanging glares, the blond then bowed his head and ignored everything, even the strong pain he was feeling in his chest.

* * *

 **Sorry for the late update, I had been busy with University, again, and family matters.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading! ^^**


	21. Chapter 20

_Chapter 20_

Mary had had a pleasant evening with Yui, plus Theo and Mark even though they had just watched over them from afar. She had noticed, however, their glancing at each other, frequently, and their worried and hesitant chatting, their uneasiness; the twin hadn't really talked to her telepathically, making her suspicious and quite frustrated.

Certainly, they were hiding something from her and feared revealing it.

On their way back, after the girls had bought each other a gift, Mary mentally sent a call to her brother, asking him if there were any problems; she had turned around after a minute of silence to look at him, scaring Theo, who had turned pale and had looked away nervously, while Mark remained impassive, his blank eyes staring into emptiness; Yui looked at everyone, confused and questioning.

\- Don't you have anything to tell me? - the half-witch asked, raising her icy tone; her friend rubbed his neck to appease the panic and stammered that there was nothing important to report to her.

Mary stared at them unconvinced and more severely.

\- Or maybe it's not the right time to tell you, yet - Theo tried again to dissuade her from insisting.

\- This sounds better. I'll wait.

She ignored their sighs of relief and went on walking, reassuring the blonde with a pat on her shoulder and resuming their conversation about feline breeds.

As soon as they were in front of the entrance door, Shuu, Reiji and Subaru came out, followed by the Mukami brothers.

\- Has my mother dismissed you? - the girl asked, teasing a little her mother about her formal way of speaking; she noticed the tension among Yuuma and Karlheinz's two firstborns, taking a note of discovering more later on.

\- Mh - Ruki nodded – As for us, we can head back home. Or would you like to stay overnight at our mansion? - he asked Theo and Mark.

The first shook his head, smiling:

\- The Glass Lady has clearly decided we would leave at this very night.

\- Too bad, have a good journey then - Ruki smiled politely, as Mary raised an eyebrow

\- Where are Ayato-kun and the others? - Yui asked to the other Sakamaki brothers; Reiji told her that they had stayed inside with the Glass Lady and, before the blonde could ask why, he specified that he was unaware of the reason behind it.

Mary frowned and curled her lips, intrigued, and thought if her mother had wanted to clarify the conflicted relationship between the triplets' mother and themselves. She confirmed her hypothesis when the very triplets came out with sullen faces; behind them, the snow-coloured curly woman showed off her usual gentle smile and approached the twins and Theo, turning to her daughter.

\- My lavender flower - she caressed her cheek with her fingers, with a ghostly touch - we'll see each other very soon.

 _But didn't you have something to tell me...?_ , the girl immediately thought, perplexed; her brother resumed their telepathic.

 _She decided to postpone it to another moment. I know nothing._

 _But you're also hiding something!_

 _Meh._

 _When I'll get home I will knot the strings of your instruments._

 _Nuuuuu._

The Glass Lady called her children, absorbed again in another conversation outside reality, and she bid farewell to the two families, making many recommendations and wishing Yui not to face troubles with her new life as a vampire; at last, she stopped in front of Yuuma, examining him intensely, thus causing the giant's nervousness.

\- Forgive me, but I'm sure your features are too particular not to have been inherited by the same relatives as my husband. And so as my children - she smiled, glancing at the twins and focusing particularly on Mark - The cut of your eyes is unique; only the males of my husband's family have it... and only the members of the same family have that green spot in the iris.

Yuuma kept quiet, not knowing how to reply.

* * *

Back to the Mukami mansion, having done all her things in the bathroom, changed into her pyjamas, and unwrapped Yui's gift (a complete set of ink nibs; she had given the blonde a very ingenious box with different and hidden compartments), Mary had jumped on the mattress, sinking into it with her back facing upwards, sleepy and exhausted.

If hanging out with Kou meant "unexpected events", at the next proposal she would have probably refuse...

She heard a knock on the door and grunted, annoyed, still letting the person to come in; she was sure it was Yuuma, with those heavy, shuffling footsteps on the floor, and the enormous gap she felt when he threw himself on the bed next to her, grunting, worn out.

\- I don't know if I became stupid or whatever, but I think I was told that we could be relatives? - she heard him speak and observed him with a half-opened eye: the giant was lying on his side, facing her, his eyes closed and with a relaxed expression, his head resting on his bent arm; the other arm was resting between them on the blankets.

\- Mum said you should be a brother of my grand-and-something-father, Abel...

Yuuma frowned and seemed to think deeply, repeating that name; he sighed.

\- _It doesn't ring a bell_...

He fell silent, opening his eyes and assuming a troubled expression; he looked at her.

\- Did you know... that I and that Neet had known each other in the past, as children?

This time it was Mary who fell silent for a moment, before answering.

\- I suspected it. I knew he had lost a dear human friend in a fire... and then, when you appeared...

\- … I see.

The vampire turned on his back and crossed his arms behind his head, staring at ceiling; Mary imitated him, just putting her hands on her stomach and closing her eyes. She heard him mumble that it looked like it was Reiji who had started the fire in the village where he had lived, according to Kou's eye; after a long pause, he added that he couldn't understand why the blond had made himself guilty, unfairly. According to him, Shuu had overthought too much; and more importantly he didn't react in the right way.

The girl cracked a smile, agreeing with his last words.

Yuuma, a few minutes before falling asleep, asked her if she was still in love with him.

\- _Oh, yes_. _I miss him_ …

And they both fell into the realm of dreams.

* * *

Mary was suffering from an indescribable headache since waking up: during the break, she decided to head quickly to the infirmary, hopeful that a brief rest would ease the pain even a little.

Of course, she had never met the ocean-eyed blond every time she had thought of seeing him; this time, having forgotten the possibility that he might have been there to sleep as usual, she froze at staring at him as soon as she closed the door behind her.

The vampire looked back in surprise (or horrified?), eyes wide open, before grumbling and sighing out of annoyance.

 _Happy to see you again, too_ , she thought ironically.

The situation turned out to be rather embarrassing: the girl was still standing in place and looked around nervously, looking for any possible way to escape, at the same time finding none or foolish ones; Shuu rubbed the back of his neck, grumbling, undecided on what to do.

And somewhat annoyed by her strong scent, so close to him after being apart for so long, just watching over her from afar (often risking a broken neck because of Yuuma).

Then, Mary had an idea. Not that brilliant...

\- Shuu-san... – she called him, making him turn towards her against his will, forced to see her figure which attracted him to the point of making him feel a certain itch in his hands - What happened yesterday evening between you, Reiji-san and Yuu-kun?

At first the blond raised an eyebrow at the last name, then connecting it to Yuuma and misunderstanding about a possible relationship, jealous; then, he thought about the question and grunted annoyed.

\- It's none of your business. All of this belong to the past and shouldn't have been brought up... - he hissed, grinding his teeth; Reiji's behaviour had deeply irritated him, though he didn't blame him for the cause that had led him to act that way in the past: after all, his mother had neglected him unjustly, with all the hard work he had done to make her proud of him.

\- But Yuu-kun wants to know... I'm sure of it, he feels he's missing someth-...

\- _HE DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW_!

Mary jumped, eyes widening: Shuu had never raised his voice against her and remembered never having heard him shout at other people...

\- Edgar died because of me! - Shuu went on, slightly lowering his tone but still furious - _I_ was the one who kept on meeting with him, even though I knew that vampires and humans can't stay together if not one at the expense of the other! _Reiji started the fire_? _It's still my fault_! - his voice began to crack and he spoke faster, unloosing all the thoughts that had tormented him for many, long years - If I hadn't kept on meeting with him, Reiji would have never done that! If that time I hadn't taken him to that dance party, he wouldn't have been humiliated! It's a good thing that he forgot! He has a new life now, it's better this way...

\- _HE'S NOT OKAY AT ALL AND YOU ARE A HUGE CODARD_!

Shuu's eyes widened, taken aback by her unexpected burst.

\- Yuuma has suffered since he woke up without memories, because he didn't have an identity and also because, albeit his new life, _he still had to face other painful difficulties_! If he had some answers about his past, at least he would have something to hold on to! _Everyone needs something to hold on to in their life_ , Shuu! - she stated exasperated, as some tears slipped down her cheeks - You did nothing _, you let yourself drown_ in a sea of bitterness, _you didn't even try_ to find a safe anchor in something! _You don't want Yuuma to know because you don't want to face it_ , _not because you think Yuuma will get hurt_!

The last words were like thousands of stabs on Shuu's chest, who backed away from that buried consciousness, unable to accept it; he snapped his tongue, frustrated, and retorted, taking her by her shoulders in a rush of aggressive emotion.

\- How can you say something like this? _You can't understand me_!

\- I _do_ understand you! _Because I'm making the same mistake_ , _too_!

\- Eh...? - the blond looked at her confused, as she looked down with shame, sobbing.

\- _I've never accepted my powers_! I've never accepted I had killed Claire's parents... and Rose-senpai... even if it was for a "right" cause, in truth it was for my _selfish desire to get rid of them_ , given all the hatred I had towards them. So I ran away because I didn't want to cope with it, to _forget_ about it, but it kept on tormenting me... through nightmares of the past, and _I can't face them because I am also a coward_! - she admitted painfully, crying, while the vampire stared at her speechlessly, upset - And I don't want to be Izanami, I've never accepted it... _I think it's a huge responsibility, too much for me_...!

Silence fell on them.

After that sudden and uncontrolled confession, Mary frantically wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her uniform, turning back and preparing to get out of the infirmary.

Slowly, sobbing, her head sadly bowed: Shuu saw her move away from him, still wide-eyed and mouth agape from the shock caused by the explosion of her suppressed and hidden feelings, full of suffering and anguish; perhaps, also because of those sharp remark which had awakened in him the sense of guilt about the attitude he had carried on for years, a _cowardly_ one.

A sense of disappointment, despair, and mortification ran through every cell of his body, making him tremble with indignation, and fear was painted in his eyes as they rested on her hand on the door handle, ready to pull it down.

 _No. He wouldn't have let her out._

 _He wouldn't have let her get away from him, again._

Mary suddenly felt two strong arms wrapping around her waist and that scent of clean so dear and familiar reaching her nostrils; soon she found herself lying on one of the beds and stiffened when, leaning on an elbow and stammering, he straddled her.

\- Sh-Shuu... ?! - the girl blushed, crawling back on the mattress until she slammed her back against the head of the bed.

The vampire approached her on all fours, sat on her thighs and grabbed her wrists, preventing her from escaping; their faces were only a centimetre apart, the blue irises staring intensely into the dark ones.

 _The ocean finding its abyss_.

\- _Mary_... - the blond's lips approached her ear – _Don't leave me again_...

The girl didn't hear anything more and her eyes widened, losing a few beats; her expression softened as she was embraced by the vampire, and she smiled, melancholy.

\- It was you who left me, _baka_ – she snorted, sardonic, wrapping her hands behind his back and sinking her face between his shoulder and his neck, inhaling his scent and recovering in her memory every tactile, olfactory, auditory and visual perception to match them with those she was feeling at the moment.

After a few minutes, she was lying on the mattress with her arms resting rigidly on his chest, trying to keep him from exchanging more passionate acts of affection, with a nervous grimace on her face.

\- We're at school, Shuu-san - she muttered embarrassed, feeling her limbs weaken under the pressure of the vampire's chest, who he muttered in annoyance.

\- For you it's Shuu, remove that suffix... and I'd like to remind you that it's been nearly a month without you – he gnashed his teeth, irritated, raising the blankets over them and thinking that she was probably taking advantage of the demon force to counteract his; _sooner or later she would have given in, right_?

Over her limit, the half-witch's arms collapsed, but also the young man dropped himself on her, because of the fatigue.

\- _Brat_ \- he mocked her, snickering, and wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his head in the most comfortable position between her shoulder and her chest.

\- _Koala_ \- Mary replied a little offended, and then smiled, before slipping her fingers in his hair, stroking it, and resting the other hand on his arm.

\- Wasn't it sloth? - Shuu asked, raising his face a little towards her neck, kissing it.

She shrugged, blushing at his touch; the blond looked thoughtful, and then frowned in annoyance.

\- _How many times did they bite you_? - he asked, evidently jealous and possessive.

\- Do you think I'm counting? I don't remember. Surely Ki-kun drank several times...

\- _Why did that guy drink more than_... no wait, "Ki-kun"? - the vampire began in a threatening tone, then making a strange face to that nickname.

\- Then there is Koucchi, Azucchi and Yuu-kun~.

After several seconds of silence, Shuu began to giggle uninterruptedly.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading! ^^**


	22. Chapter 21

_Chapter 21_

Reiji hadn't been happy at all to see from the school windows the slacker blissfully snoring with his head on the half-witch's nap as she she chatted with Yui during breaks.

Yuuma had reacted a little differently; although he hadn't been enthusiastic at first, he had then taken advantage of it to tease the blond every time he found him clinging to his presumed niece ( _it sounded so strange to him_!); despite their bickering, the two did get a little along, considering that Kou and Subaru always argued.

The albino himself (in his own way) and Yui had been happy to see them together again; the triplets had remained indifferent, perhaps Laito had looked thoughtful at first: something buried in his memory was trying to resurface, _a voice calling him and yet he couldn't recognize it_.

Kou and Azusa's little disappointment stemmed from being aware that they wouldn't be chosen by either Eve or Izanami, and therefore couldn't have repaid Karlheinz for saving them; it didn't really matter to them at last, glad by seeing _Mary happy_.

On the other hand, Ruki found no way to suppress his internal jealousy: he was a little colder than usual, but inside he was tormented by the feeling of loss and despair, perceived by Mary herself who was saddened by it ( _and she sensed a sort of déjà vu_...?) and often wasn't able to behave as usual in his presence, uncomfortable. Ruki had made sure to point it out, resisting the urge to vent all his bitterness, and tried to reassure her.

Mary had only told Shuu, Yui and Subaru about Izanami and their strange faces in seeing her transparent arms, feet and ankles said everything about what they thought of it; Subaru had even asked her if she could pass through the walls and if Yui hadn't calmed him down, Shuu would have probably died by choking after mocking him about the absurdity he had questioned.

The benevolent spirit resembling a hamster, Freckle, took care of Yuuma's garden most of the day, protecting it from evil creatures, so that he rarely interacted with others, except with Mary during her sleep, snuggling comfortably in her hair.

Despite the emotional sorrows and the usual, natural bickering, it seemed that now everything was peaceful...

* * *

\- Shuu... please... _I have to go back to class_...

The girl tried to free herself from the vampire's iron grip in vain, forced to sit on his legs, and he didn't want to release her waist from his arms, while dozing off with his head resting on her shoulder; he mumbled something incomprehensible, laid down on the bench, bringing her almost under him, and she let out a surprised little cry because of the sudden movement.

Mary called him again, sighing exasperatedly.

\- I've been without you for about _three weeks_... - he grumbled in her ear, yawning and sticking more to her, as if he wanted to consume as much heat as he could.

The girl replied, muttering that it wasn't properly acceptable as an excuse, but before she could finish the sentence, her face had been turned by his hand and his lips had crashed on hers, silencing her.

Several times she tried to complain and every time she was silenced by the vampire's mouth, more and more passionate; then, as Shuu was busy groping her bottom ignoring her embarrassed protests, they heard a voice and turned around: with a twitching eye, Ruki was glaring at them with a look that could have made the dead packing for another underworld.

\- The girl _has_ to go back to class. We work in pair during chemistry classes - the young man stated in front of them, arms folded and rigid.

\- _My girl_ , let's be clear - the other muttered.

The two exchanged glowering glances and the poor victim shrank between them, not wanting to be involved any more than she was already, and she composed herself, pushing the blond's hand away from her bottom with a huge effort.

Before Shuu could protest, Mary kissed his cheek.

\- See you later, _Shuu_ \- she smiled shyly and at the same time gently, then walked away and went out with Ruki, who had raised an eyebrow at the scene.

The blond had remained firm on the bench with a grin on his face.

* * *

\- Ta-daaah~!

Kou showed Mary a cup similar to the matching ones each Mukami brother had, decorated with the same pattern but with a different colour: a taupe grey for Ruki, a bright rose for Kou, a pastel blue for Azusa and a light orange for Yuuma; finally, this one was silver with some green spots, and it was for her, who was speechless.

\- But... but I'm not... - she began talking, still incredulous, only to be interrupted by a strong pat on her back, certainly from the giant.

\- If it's true that we're related, _you're also part of our family_ \- he exclaimed, grinning, and ruffled her hair, then glaring at Freckle, who was munching a freshly picked apple.

\- Really, I can't accept... - the girl tried again shyly and slightly flushed, but the blond stopped her, pretending to be offended.

\- _Nooope_ , Neko-chan! _This cup is for you_ , we bought it together and gifts shouldn't be rejected!

\- Izanami... Don't you want to... _be closer to us_...? - Azusa asked, showing a sad expression and curling his lips on purpose to appear disappointed and make her feel guilty; the half witch shook her head frantically, surrendering.

Ruki gave her a smile, or what always looked like a smirk on him.

\- You should accept it. _We had it made just for you_.

After a few seconds of silence, Mary nodded her head, smiling and her eyes shining with emotion.

* * *

\- Subaru-kun~!

\- _EVIL SPIRIT BEGONE_!

Subaru was running again in order to escape from Kou, who wanted to offer him a job at the agency where he was working as an idol, thinking he had a great potential to become one; Mary and Yui were watching them from the school yard half amused.

\- Such great friends... - Yui commented, ignoring the umpteenth ring from Ayato on the phone the Sakamaki had bought for her, with only their numbers.

\- _Yeah_ , _sure_ \- Mary agreed ironically - Just like those two.

And she nodded towards the roof, where a rather irritated Yuuma was yelling at Shuu, deeply asleep against a wall and bravely ignoring him.

\- These vampires... - the half witch sighed giggling.

\- ... are a _lost cause_! - the neo-vampire concluded, typing an exasperated reply to her boyfriend promising that she would return to him by the end of the break; in the meantime Mary had run to the roof to stop the giant from beating the handsome blond.

* * *

Mary and Laito met in the school library, as she was looking for some architectural books and he was flirting with two first year students.

\- _Hello_ ~ Bitch-chan! - the vampire greeted her with his usual mischievous smile, an arm around the waist of one of the girls and hand resting on the shoulders of the other one.

\- Hello, Laito-kun - Mary just smiled, turning her eyes back to the shelves in search of the book that interested her - I recommend you not to be caught and lectured here.

\- Nfu~ Bitch-chan, _rules are made to be broken_ ~ aren't they? - the red replied back, pretending to sulk, and asked confirmation from his companions who chuckled.

\- _That's your responsibility_ , then – she said, giving him an indecipherable smile, and walked away with the just found book in her hand.

Laito didn't see the veil of melancholy in her eyes as he watched her leave; but as he chatted briskly with the two girls, he rummaged in his memory, searching for the source of the voice that was calling him.

Or was it a voice that was calling _her_...?

* * *

\- You've seen Subarucchi, Azucchi and Shuu together?! - Mary exclaimed, shocked by Kou's news, and he nodded, upset, while drying the dishes she passed him after being washed and rinsed.

\- When I went to Subaru-kun to complain about how he isn't so mean to Azusa-kun as he usually is to me, he yelled at me that at least my brother isn't as annoying as me! He hurt me! - the blond explained in a frustrated tone and gesturing nervously, despite a part of him did agree with the albino's statement.

The half witch also wasn't so hostile to Subaru's opinion and had no idea how to talk about it calmly with Kou, nervous; in the meantime he went on, talking about how much fun it was to wacth Subaru exasperated while refusing to hurt a persistent Azusa, or how an irritated Shuu mumbled to them to shut up; then, a second plate slipped and broke, Ruki reproached them, telling them to shut up and concentrate on their task.

Mary yawned, turning between the warm blankets comforting her from the absurd cold of the first days of November, and bumped into a colder body, eyes widening.

\- Sh-Shuu?! - she murmured, almost raising her voice, disconcerted to find him in the bed, as he proceeded to wrap his arms around her waist, clutching her like a pillow.

\- Mh, be quiet, I'm sleeping... – he muttered in a sleepy tone, rubbing his face against her chest and making her blush out of both embarrassment and irritation, after adding that she was wearing a very cute pyjamas, but not sexy at all: it had prints of small blue chicks on a grey background.

\- _Shuu_! You shouldn't be here! Ki-kun will kill you!

The vampire answered back just with an annoyed grunt and at the same time with a chuckle at that nickname, remaining attached to her, who sighed and began to stroke his hair, kissing his head from time to time.

The young man rubbed his hands along her back, after a while mumbling that it was strangely cold; the girl hypothesized that it was probably due to the fact that she had probably pulled the covers too much, thus exposing part of the body to the cold air. He insisted it was really cold and she sat up, lifting her shirt up and making him examine her back.

\- _Mary_. It's... - he murmured, shocked - It's _see-through_.

She kept quiet, turning slowly towards his face, the ocean gaze staring at her worryingly; after what seemed like interminable seconds, she smiled, stroking his cheek.

\- Don't worry, it's just a process. I'm not sick - she kissed his forehead as he snorted and leaned his head on her thighs. The girl smiled again and returned to wander in his soft fair curls with her fingers, untangling some knots, making him relax.

\- _You both want to die so badly_.

Shuu and Mary hadn't figured out yet that it was better not to risk with Ruki.

* * *

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, thanks for reading! ^^**


	23. Chapter 22

_Chapter 22_

\- Stop PESTERING ME!

\- _Huff, what a touchy guy_! You are my guest, you can't treat me like this!

Ruki was holding back the growing murder instinct as he prepared tea and cookies in the kitchen, trying to ignore the screams coming from the living room, and also Azusa, who was intent on _experimenting the various degrees of burn_ with the water kettle...

Yuuma was in the garden, quietly covering the orchards with thick weaves of straw to protect them from the impending cold, which had actually arrived in advance during the first week of November; Subaru and Kou's bickering, despite crossing the walls, wasn't bothering him too much.

The albino had found himself trapped when, at school, the blond had suggested him to come to their house (mainly to convince him to work with him in a duet): on one hand the brothers had become lately irritating lately and being aware of Shuu's presence didn't comforted him, as the eldest had begun to attend the Mukami house only because of Mary; on the other hand he would have had to put up with that overbearing singer.

In the end he had opted for the lesser evil, considering that Shuu, Mary and even Azusa's company was (more or less) far preferable to that of the other brothers.

In the living room, Mary was reading peacefully on the sofa, slowly stroking the curls of the blond who was sleeping with his head resting on her thighs, content; Kou and Subaru were arguing at the table where they were playing checkers, as suggested by the half-witch for some reason... but Ruki had realized that the albino hadn't _dangerously_ _gesticulated_ yet since the beginning of the match.

Hopefully he wouldn't need to withdraw his thoughts, as he and Azusa were returning with the cups on a tray and a box of biscuits, announcing that the tea was ready; the eldest didn't fail to glare at the Sakamaki firstborn, disapproving of his nonchalance.

\- Thanks Ki-kun, Azucchi - Mary smiled, looking up from her book; the lavender-eyed vampire returned the smile and sat down in the armchair next to her, holding out the cookies' container, while the other one grinned at her, as if saying "You're welcome", or better, "You're welcome, _Kachiku_ ".

\- Oi, chubby! - Yuuma came in, looking annoyed and carrying a small rectangular box in his hand; Shuu snickered at the nickname, poked at his he forehead by the girl who had instead reacted by curling her lips, sulky.

\- Yuuma, _that package_? - Ruki asked, looking suspiciously at the object the giant was delivering to a confused Mary, the others staring at them questioningly.

\- What the hell do I know, this goddamn pigeon arrived with this trash and there's written "For Mary _Furaia_ " - he said irritated, rubbing the shoulder against which the volatile had crashed violently, without fortunately piercing it with its beak.

\- " _Flyer_ " - she corrected him, smiling as she opened the package: there was a cell phone inside, plus its case and cables to recharge it and to connect it to the computer.

Shuu opened his eyes, looking at her curiously; Kou commented that he had never seen her with a cell phone and Subaru agreed: if Mary had owned one, the albino would have already destroyed it...

\- Izanami... it's your mobile... right... - Azusa murmured, looking interested at the case's design, while Yuuma mumbled:

\- Who the hell sends a pigeon to give your phone back!

\- Wait, _you've been without it for all this time_? - Kou exclaimed, surprised - _Even Subaru has one_ , although he doesn't use it!

\- _To avoid reading annoying messages from parasites!_ – the albino replied, referring to _who knows which parasites_.

Ruki was looking at them one by one, arching an eyebrow, astonished that no one had deduced the same conclusion as him; Shuu was just disinterested, sleeping comfortably on the legs of his beloved, clinging to her waist.

\- Theo uses pigeons. And as for the mobile - Mary said, caressing the screen, thoughtful - I had left in my bedroom before leaving a year and a half ago...

Kou blinked, perplexed.

\- Why? I mean... how did you keep in touch with Theo-kun, or your other friends?

\- I wanted to cut ties with everyone... - was the girl's answer, while staring blankly at the screen's background, after turning the phone on: it portrayed her and...

 _Ryan-senpai... Rose-senpai..._

Suddenly they heard the house phone ringing in the hallway; the Mukami brothers exchanged surprised looks among themselves: they had given their number to few, that was the school and the agency which Kou worked for; Ruki had taken care to prevent any advertising agency from bothering them; and it couldn't be Yui calling them or someone among the Sakamaki brothers, despite her having Kou's number "in case"...

\- Hello? - Ruki waited for the answer, while the others were staring at him silently, expecting some kind of apocalypse; they weren't that far from reality.

The eldest Mukami widened his eyes at first, then took on a serious expression.

\- I'll warn her right away.

He put the phone down and turned to them.

\- We have hunters on our heels, we have to leave immediately.

\- _What_?! - Subaru, Kou and Yuuma yelled, bewildered; Shuu emitted an irritated snort, Azusa was nibbling his finger and Mary stiffened, concentrating on her half-witch senses and telepathically talking with Mark.

\- The Sakamaki's and Eve had to escape from their mansion after being reached by a group of hunters - Ruki explained, stepping forward, thoughtfully, adding that they had used underground streets leading to some abandoned building in the city's suburbs – We should also have a passage leading us on the same road...

\- It's not a wise idea - the girl interrupted him, causing Shuu to stand up, annoyed.

Azusa questioned her and the others looked at her confused: the tension was palpable.

\- They're everywhere. Going from one side to the other won't change anything, it's better to stay together - she got up from the couch, reluctantly resting the book on the table and, answering Subaru's annoyed question about what to do, she said - I warned my brother to inform Ari-sensei... for now, _rely on me_ \- she sighed rubbing her head, stressed, her hair turning white at the ends.

\- Chubby, we're vampires... – Yuuma began protesting, resentful of being underestimated as the others, especially Subaru and Kou; not Azusa, he wanted to be hurt.

\- Of course... _but follow my instructions_ \- she looked at them sternly, then nodding at Ruki - _Let's work together_. Two heads are better than one.

Ruki smiled, ignoring Shuu who was complaining to her that he also was very clever.

\- My head is worth a hundred, _Kachiku_.

* * *

Yui had been weakly protesting for an hour, uncomfortably carried on Ayato's shoulder, escaping with the other brothers from the group of hunters who had broken into their mansion; of course, no one had brought a cell phone: Reiji would bring it with him when he was outside, Kanato's was abandoned in a drawer in his room, Laito's had been confiscated and no longer returned by a teacher who had caught him sending dirty messages during the lesson, Ayato's has been lost during the escape, then probably unknowingly destroyed by the hunters who were chasing them.

Yui, on the contrary, since she had been given one (or as they said, "procured for emergencies"), she had always kept it in any pocket of her clothes; therefore, during a break, she had lend it to Reiji in order to call the Mukami brothers and inform them, while Laito and Ayato sharpened their senses, ready to pick up a possible danger.

The female vampire, finally released from that torture to her poor stomach, looked around, ignoring the brief conversation between Reiji and Ruki; they were in a vast network of underground passages, apparently dating back to the Second World War, rather large to be tunnels with ceilings supported by rigid wooden foundations, mouldy and swollen with moisture. She glimpsed a few mice running on the beams where thick cobwebs were intertwined; her eyes, in particular, fell on the old lighting system, but still _strangely_ functional: something in her brain suggested that there was something odd...

\- We decided to meet in the abandoned building where these undergrounds lead - Reiji stated, resting a hand on her shoulder to bring her back to reality and giving her mobile back- There, we will discuss what to do.

\- Why can't we just fight them? We are vampires, we will destroy them for sure! - Ayato protested in a quite annoyed tone, as Kanato complained about why were to meet with those _filthy non-purebloods_ , contemptuous.

\- Ayato. It's better not to underestimate them, they aren't normal human beings. They know how to use magic and you ought to be careful because of this.

\- How can normal human beings know how to use magic? Have they made a deal with the devil, nfu~? - Laito asked in an almost cheerful tone, nonetheless confused.

Reiji didn't answer immediately, deep in thought.

"The hunter who was with Richter had abnormal abilities and the one I met about a month ago with them was the daughter of _abused witches",_ the half-witch had said, that night; he had done research on his own since then to understand what she had meant by "abused witches": he had found out that they were real witches who were persecuted, captured and then raped (or artificially fertilized in very rare cases) by hunters or their supporters, in order to generate hybrids gifted with magical powers to use to hunt other witches. Those abused witches, after that inhumane abuse, were to be brutally get rid of.

 _This is disgusting event to a vampire like me. These human beings are really..._

Which term could describe them better? At the moment he couldn't find any...

Suddenly they heard a rumble and the vampires sensed an enemy approaching; a very, _very_ rapid approach.

\- YUI! - Ayato yelled, leaning over her and clutching her in his arms to move and avoid a powerful attack which destroyed in half a second the walls and the ceiling, blocking some passages that crossed at the point where they had stopped; Reiji and Kanato quickly joined them and to leave immediately. Then, the twins tensed.

 _Where was Laito?_

They screamed his name, but he had clearly remained behind the earthy block, in the other tunnel; the escape from the two hooded hunters chasing after them was a priority.

* * *

\- What?!

The six vampires stopped and looked at the girl, exchanging confused glances among them; after about twenty minutes since they had ventured into the dungeons, Mary had decided to call Yui to inquire about their situation and suddenly she had burst out that way, upset, stopping her pace.

\- Neko-chan? – Kou called her, tilting his head; Ruki asked if there were any problems and Shuu looked at her carefully, soon realizing what was probably worrying her.

\- What should I do... - she murmured, ending the call and putting her hand on her pale forehead - _Laito_...

Subaru widened his eyes.

\- Did something happen to that pervert? _N-Not that I care that much_ , eh...

\- Kind of you to be worried about your _Onii-chan_ , Subaru - the blond chuckled, fixing the his earphones which had slipped, and kept on smirking as the albino blushed and denied with mumbles and fists in the air, annoyed by Kou who was teasing him, too.

Azusa approached Mary and took her hands between his, squeezing them, and smiled sweetly as their eyes met.

\- Izanami... go to Laito-san... if you want to help him... you care for him, right? We... we will make do.

The girl, whose eyes had already threatened to tear up at his first words, turned her gaze to the others, insecure; Ruki smiled at her and Yuuma raised an arm, clutching his hand into a fist as if to show that everything was in their hands.

\- Don't worry, chubby! We are strong!

Mary remained still for a second, before taking another step, relying on her senses to orient herself and track down her cousin; the six young men watched her disappear from their sight, impassive.

\- Will she manage to get by? - Subaru asked, holding the key around his neck.

\- Take away that question mark - his brother snorted, bored, getting back on their path.

\- You could show a little more concern for the girl, after all _she chose you_ \- Ruki said sharply.

The two sniped at each other with glances as cold as Antarctica and as sharp as the daggers collected by Azusa; the others sighed, annoyed by their umpteenth bickering, and Kou muttered:

- _Here we go again_ …

* * *

She was running, exploiting the resistance and speed given by her demonic part and ignoring the excruciating pain coming from her artificial lung; her senses were leading her to the area where Laito was, whose images filled her mind in an uninterrupted sequence of memories.

 _Laito... Laito!_

Mary certainly loved Shuu. She certainly wanted to become his bride.

Mary certainly loved the Mukami brothers. Certainly she wanted them part of her family.

Mary certainly loved Laito. She sure wanted to protect him, she wanted him next to her.

Her best friend, herdear cousin, her brother of affection, her son to protect; all this had been him to her since they met: _she wanted her Laito back_.

She couldn't hear nor perceive anything: all the senses had let her eyes see _everything_ _and nothing_ ; after turning at several crossroads, the girl stopped, looking first at the familiar hat lost on the ground, then at the vampire who was defending himself badly from the hunter, dodging spells that otherwise would have imprisoned him in an ice grip.

Mary called his name, distracting both; Laito turned to her suddenly, surprised, and the hunter's eyes widened as he met her silver irises shining in his direction, soon rising upward where a heavy wooden beam fell, knocking him out on the spot.

When the enemy's body collapsed to the ground, the girl first made sure that the ceiling wasn't unstable, then she gazed at her cousin; they remained motionless, staring at each other in silence as various thoughts crossed their minds.

\- Laito! - Mary finally exclaimed, hugging him hurriedly with an almost maternal impetus - Thank goodness, I was so worried for you...

The vampire blinked, astonished, his arms hesitating to rest on her back to return the tight grip full of relief; he cracked a smile.

\- No, _nfu_ ~! We vampires are strong...

The unusual quiver in his voice sounded really strange; he knew it wasn't due to the hunter's chase and attack, but then what had caused it? _And why were his hands shaking_...?

\- Laito? - the girl, aware of his atypical behaviour, took his face in her hands, looking at him worried – Are you ok?

Her dark eyes mirrored in his emerald ones, which slowly widened while perceiving from the depths of his memory a voice, _his own voice_ , calling the half-witch in front of him.

 _"Micchan~!"_

\- ... Micchan...? - he murmured through his slightly parted lips; Mary flinched and her eyes started tearing, a melancholy but very sweet and affectionate smile appeared on her face.

\- Yes, Laito. I'm your Micchan... - she hugged him again, tightly.

And finally the vampire's hands rested on her back, strong and confident.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ^^**


	24. Chapter 23

_Chapter 23_

Yui would have risked dying because of Ayato's firm grip rather than the two hunters who were chasing them; the vampire was holding her in his arms, growling, while Reiji and Kanato were wielding two swords they had brought with them in case of emergency.

The opponents, who were certainly twins judging by their clear resemblance, were watching them cautiously, one holding a sort of luminous hammer with a long steel handle and the other with hands wrapped in fluorescent green threads; they heard them mumble among themselves:

\- Damn it... Karlheinz's sons...

\- Two against three, eh...

Hearing them, Reiji bent his lips in a smug smile, deducing that the hunters were afraid of facing them; yet his mouth returned to a thin line when he saw them show off some not very promising smirks: he was underestimating them.

\- Kanato, be on guard - he murmured, resting a hand on his pocket, ready to extract one of the bottles or little bags containing experiments that would have help him casting small but useful spells, if necessary.

\- No need to tell me - the little brother said sharply, deeply annoyed at being treated like a brat ( _UHM_ ); behind them, holding back from snickering at the twin, Ayato reassured Yui that he would have protected her and that no one would have even been able to scratch them.

The armed hunter lunged at him, aiming with the hammer for his skull; Kanato quickly dodged the attack and with a blow he cut the enemy's arm off, grinning satisfied, as his easy victory confused Reiji: at first it looked like the opponents were hesitant to face them, then gave the impression of being able to defeat them and, at last, Kanato had seemed to have succeeded.

 _At the moment._

The limbless hunter had suddenly turned to the purple-eyed young man and had slammed him to the ground, clutching his thin neck with his healthy hand, with such superhuman strength that it surprised him horribly.

Reiji didn't have time to pronounce the first syllable of his little brother's name that the other hunter had stretched his arms as if they had been made of elastic material, wrapping them around his throat and intensifying more and more the fatal grip; the young man, grinding his teeth and enduring the pain sharpened by the microscopic spikes covering the enemy's skin, skilfully swept the sword in his hand, cutting off those limbs wanting to behead him. His eyes widened at them as they stick back to the hunter's body after collapsing on the ground.

Yui and Ayato were motionless, unsettled and incredulous: those were no longer human beings, but real monsters created by hatred...

Kanato had tried to set the fierce hunter on fire, but it seemed to have only tickled him.

Reiji's mind became completely blank, devoid of thoughts: he hadn't underestimated them, but he hadn't even expected the situation to turn so bad...

Suddenly, everyone realized they couldn't hear anything, except for the enemies, distracted by their effort to kill the two vampires; Yui was puzzled: it was as if she had suddenly lost her hearing and Ayato kept on opening his mouth but couldn't hear his own voice.

Then, among them, Mark appeared, actually just moving at the speed of sound; the hunters, who finally noticed the anomaly thanks to his presence, turned to look at the him at first confused, then repulsed, deducing his hybrid nature from his silver eyes.

They didn't have time to jump on him with hatred and ferocity that they were thrown against the walls because of the sound waves' impact, directed by the half-demon, taking care not to involve the others in the beam; the stunned enemies' bodies collapsed on the ground and blood came out of their ears.

Finally, sounds were back and the true silence was replaced by the masked silence.

Kanato rubbed his neck and without thinking twice he got up and proceeded to setthe two hunters on fire, angry; Reiji cleared his throat, staring at his little brother and shaking his head, then turning to Mark who in the meantime had been joined by Yui, full of gratitude and relief, and Ayato, excited for having seen him in action.

\- THAT WAS DAMN EPIC! - he exclaimed, shaking the poor boy by the shoulders; before he could add anything else, his older brother had preceded him, pushing him aside.

\- Yes, yes, no more chit-chat; I guess you're here thanks to your sister, right? Good; thanks for your help.

He cracked a polite smile (we'll never know if it was a spontaneous or forced one) that changed into a questioning look as soon as Mark revealed that he hadn't come alone.

\- Who else came, then? And where are they, more importantly?

* * *

\- SON A BIT-...

\- _Yuuma_!

\- RUKI, THIS IS NO TIME TO COMPLAIN ABOUT MY LANGUAGE!

The Mukami brothers, Shuu and Subaru were running: they hadn't been any luckier than the other group, since they had crossed paths with two hunters who were chasing them inside... _a kind of huge ball of sharp and incandescent rock?_

Obviously, Yuuma had had to take Azusa on his shoulders, who was fascinated by that lethal weapon; and, of course, Shuu was left behind, too _tired_ to run.

\- OI, SHUU! – Subaru cried out, looking over his shoulder with wide and terrified eyes – Hurry the fuck up!

\- Seriously, NEET! SPEED UP! – Yuuma shouted, irritated by the blond's nonchalance, as Kou commented on how absurd it was that he didn't seems even a little worried about the situation (and that he hadn't been reached and crushed yet).

Ruki was mentally formulating logical links between causes, facts and consequences.

 _That deadbeat is slow; let's hypnotise he will be killed because of it; if he dies, Kachiku will be alone... and sad?!,_ thinking this and considering the selfish thought that he would have had her all for himself (sigh), he yelled at the Sakamaki eldest brother:

\- HEY, _USELESS AND GOOD-FOR-NOTHING FIRSTBORN_! IF YOU DIE, I'LL TAKE THE GIRL!

Before pronouncing the last three words, Shuu had already reached him, at the same time starting a challenge to whom would have glared the most between them, consequently drawing sighs from the others.

Yuuma and Subaru exchanged a knowing glance and, slowing their pace until they were behind everyone else, suddenly braked, turning around, and simultaneously threw a fist at the incoming boulder: the burn they got on their knuckles and some of their right hand's fingers was pretty agonizing but was worth it, because the rock ball had been thrown back, rolling a few metres away, and then stopped.

The tall vampire waved his hand, blowing on it and cursing with all the foulest words he knew, while the albino examined his own hand, irritated, clicking his tongue; Shuu, since the two had stopped bravely, had stayed still, staring at them in shock at the risk they had run, focusing in particular on the burnt skin of the taller one's knuckles, who glanced at him, confused.

Ruki, followed by the others, had approached the two and before he could ask Yuuma if the damage to the hand was particularly serious, they had all turned to the hunters who had reached them; one of them was emanating more and more flames from his body.

\- They're gonna set us on fire - Kou murmured, breaking in a cold sweat, as Shuu tried in every way to avoid being overwhelmed by an imminent panic crisis.

Azusa thought he wouldn't have liked to see his brothers get charred and, coming down from Yuuma's shoulder, stood in front of them, making their eyes widen in surprise and horror; the giant immediately pulled him back, shouting.

Subaru narrowed his eyes and bit his lips, feeling completely useless; a monster like him who could destroy anything, but who couldn't save them at that moment: why was he feeling so helpless?

Suddenly they heard faint sounds, like tense and vibrating threads, very familiar sounds to Shuu's ears; the two hunters stopped, sensing the danger, and they suddenly found themselves face down and were dragged by something behind them, trying to cling to the ground by sticking their nails and looking confused at the transparent wires that had painfully tightened around their ankles.

One of them swore and tossed a flame at the wires which melted and, in the distance, they heard a person click his tongue, irritated, and move towards them, coming out into the open: a boy with short blond hair and determined brown eyes threw a strange sphere on the hunter who manipulated the fire; he began to jolt violently, electrocuted by the electric discharge from the object, and collapsed, dead.

The other opponent gritted his teeth and hurled himself at the young man who, by moving his arms rapidly, brought out from the inside of his black leather jacket's sleeves several wires that wrapped around the enemy, who managed to free his hands, grabbing the wires, and with a huge effort he turned to pull and throw him against the walls.

\- _AGH_! – he moaned in pain and cut the threads as fast as possible, thus avoiding being thrown around again; he glanced at the vampires and shouted to them - Go, now!

The six hesitated a moment before retracing their steps, starting along the path that led to the meeting point; in the distance they heard shots and screams, including Theo's voice joking and laughing.

\- Am I wrong, or the blond was _very_ short? - Yuuma commented, teasingly smirking.

\- _Who cares_ , why are focusing on something so _ridiculous_?! - Subaru snapped.

\- _HUH_?! What did you say, _you fucking albino_?! - the giant growled, taking him by the collar of his jacket as they were running.

\- Don't call me albino, you _bastard_! – he aggressively retorted back, a nerve throbbing on his forehead.

\- Stop it you two, come on~ - Kou tried to calm them down, resting a hand on the shoulder of each, the two turning and giving him a cold and disturbing look, making him shiver and get away.

Then, turning at a crossroad, they stopped to stare at the stairs leading to the external environment; Kou and Yuuma breathed a sigh of relief and Azusa asked if they'd better wait for the two who were fighting the hunter at the moment.

\- We can't know if they managed to success... - Ruki reflected, while Subaru added that they had probably defeated him, judging by the silence that had followed after a few minutes since they had left them - Yes, but it may have been _him_ eliminating _them_...?

\- _Nonsense_ , _I won't get killed by such a low hunter_!

The vampires turned their gazes and saw the young stranger approaching them with Theo, who waved his hand to greet them; Yuuma, observing the difference in stature between the two, confirmed his impression: that blond was surely only a little taller than Yui, but certainly didn't reach the hysterical brother of the Sakamaki triplets.

\- _Hi_ ~ You didn't get seriously injured, did you? - Theo asked carefully, analysing them while putting a gun in its case attached to the belt - Those burns don't look good to me... - he muttered worriedly, looking at Subaru and Yuuma's hands, while keeping on his usual smile.

\- Don't worry, it's nothing for us vampires... _pure-blood ones_ , that is - the albino said, underlining the last words and shooting a mocking look at the other who glared at him.

\- It's not a serious wound even for me - he hissed through clenched teeth.

Theo laughed.

\- Hahaha, such good friends!

The two looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

\- Baka-Ouji, they are good friends like me and Anna - the friend commented sourly, slapping him on the head, and then turned back to the vampires, serious - Anyway, I'm Morten, nice to meet you.

\- Nice to meet you, Morten-kun~ - Kou exclaimed, holding out his hand for a friendly grasp - You were incredible with those wires!

\- Nah, I didn't do much, he looked like playing hammer throw - the wizard grumbled, scratching his head in a gesture of annoyance, trembling as soon as Theo commented that it was his small build's fault.

\- _Don't you dare_ talk about it, Theo! And don't call me " _Mo-senpai_ "! - he growled, deeply irritated.

Yuuma was snickering.

* * *

\- Good evening, everyone~ - Theo hummed, greeting the rest of the Sakamaki brothers and Yui, and then turning to Mark who had been approached by Morten for the report.

\- Markucchi, how is Cho-hime? - he asked, leaning his elbow on the shoulder of his shorter friend, who shuddered with rage and stepped back abruptly, snorting angrily and moving away to introduce himself to the rest of the vampires.

\- She should arrive in a few minutes... - was Mark's feeble and inexpressive response, focused on perceiving any dangers in the surroundings.

Which didn't take long to come, as Morten informed they were going to Mr Ari.

Theo took out his gun quickly and fired a shot into the air, barely missing the misshapen figure fluttering above them; Mark had disappeared and their senpai had manipulated other wires to try and grab that creature.

\- Damn, it's a _nightmare's draught_! - he exclaimed nervously.

\- "Nightmare's draught"? - Reiji repeated – Aren't they those creatures wandering at night to look and devour sleepwalkers?

Morten nodded and added with cold irony.

\- Exactly; we could compare them to fierce and wild "animals"... but it appears they started to "tame them" to devour even smart people, especially witches, vampires and demons.

\- And hybrids! - Theo shouted, keeping on shooting.

\- Make sure not to waste your ammo, Baka-Ouji! - the blond admonished him, thinking quickly about a solution and went on with his speech, heard by Ruki and the others too (a bit confused if they understood little, like Yuuma) – It's usually difficult to deal with them, especially vampires and wizards can't destroy them without using more complex methods. We can only hope for Mark to do something... or Cho-hime, if she arrives...

A bright peach-coloured butterfly fluttered before his eyes, making him smile.

Thousands of butterflies rose in the sky, illuminating the night like many stars and arousing general amazement, except for Subaru and the Mukami who had recognized them; the small creatures were dancing in concentric and colourful circles, outlining various geometric figures, and then hurled towards the extending draught, resembling a vast net of gelatinous material which trapped them.

\- Nfu~ Did you miss me? - Laito teleported next to his brothers, winking.

\- Laito! Where were you-... -Ayato paused, stunned, aware that something had changed within the twin; or rather, that change he hadn't despised so much had returned.

Yui, who was also aware of the change, smiled joyfully, thinking about how happy Mary must have been; the other Sakamaki brothers were also kind of relieved.

\- Cho-hime! - Theo screamed enthusiastically, and at the same moment Mary snapped her fingers, after climbing the underground stairs, her silver eyes lingering on the butterflies that had called her for help.

The noise of the beaten wings became more acute, almost metallic, and the soft and pale colours seemed to darken to a shade of aluminium grey: pieces of the nightmare's draught slowly fell on the ground, with the same movement of a feather, as if they had been crumbled; in fact, the small creatures were cutting that imprisoning web.

Theo ran and threw himself at her friend, hugging her with enthusiasm, and she showed an amused smile, trying to get him off her.

\- Theo, let me go, we're not finished yet... _Oh_. _My_. _God_.

Morten's eyes widened after hearing her shocked voice, his eyes returning to the draught's remains which had joined to form a new figure hidden by a long and black torn cloak, disturbing and with a huge scythe...

That wasn't a nightmares' draught; it was a Reaper, able to change its form to mislead its victims and then catch them fatally by surprise.

\- MARY! _It's all yours_! - Morten shouted to the visibly pale girl who promptly protested.

\- _HUH_?! _Why me_?!

\- Because you're more experienced, idiot! - the blonde reasoned, referring to a past episode where her usual curiosity had led her to meet with a Reaper.

Theo patted his friend's shoulder, smiling terrified and running away.

Mary's eye twitched, as her hair was whitening, and she yelled at them to cover her.

\- Is a wool blanket okay? - Theo answered, joking, only to get a punch on the head from his blond friend, absolutely not amused by his joke as the vampires who hadn't reacted positively, except for Yui who had cracked a little smile.

 _Shall I help you?_

 _You don't say!_

Mark popped out of nowhere and landed on the Reaper's head, pulling down the hood of his cloak and uncovering the dusty grey skull beneath it.

Theo and Morten covered their eyes, complaining, and the latter, to Reiji's puzzled question, explained that out of all the things not to be touched about a Reaper, those were his skull, above all, and his scythe.

Mary called her brother who avoided just in time a blow of the dark creature's and kept himself at a safe distance; in the meantime, the twin had gathered around her the butterflies, making some disguise and instructing others on the next actions, taking into account that the Reaper could have reached her behind at any moment and...

 _Aneki at your back!_

The girl threw herself to the side, barely avoiding the scythe blade on her own flesh and rolled away a little before getting up again and asking the tiny creatures to bother him in order to distract him.

 _What if we just escape? It's not going to chase us for ever._

 _Usually... but it would kill someone else._

 _... I have no idea how to destroy it..._

 _The other time we had pierced it with so many blades so that we could destroy its crystal heart protected by the rib cage, right?_

 _... Huff, I don't want to use these powers in front of them..._

Some butterflies escaped in flight to avoid being mowed and the Reaper, finally free of the annoyance, didn't notice the silver blades coming out of the ground, sticking into his body until breaking its heart; the creature emitted a shrill scream, before bursting into a shower of sparks and splinters of precious stones which dissolved in the air as if they had been coloured vapours.

Mark appeared beside his sister and exchanged a glance with their silver eyes speckled with red, as the clover-shaped three moles they both had on their neck's left side had turned red.

They smiled and approached the others, giving some explanations to the vampires.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mr Ari and Elena were waiting impatiently for them, the woman visibly worried... and both of them were rather uneasy, due to the presence of two other people.

Karlheinz and the Glass Lady.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please, review!**


	25. Chapter 24

_Chapter 24_

Mr Ari and Elena were sitting tired at a table, sighing for the umpteenth time, as their ears ached because of the incessant and uncomfortable dialogue between Karlheinz and the Glass Lady, who still kept smiling, but the wrinkles around her eyes showed the annoyance she was feeling.

\- Have they always been like that? - Elena asked as she watched them converse _intensely_ , perplexed.

\- From the rumours I've heard, it seems they've been bickering since the Glass Lady was in the cradle.

\- Do they have a huge age gap? – she asked, this time curiously.

\- If you keep in mind that Karlheinz - Mr Ari grimaced – is more than two thousand years old and the Glass Lady is considered among those closer to his age...

Elena's eyes widened, while she recorded in her mind his words and numbers with three or four zeros floated in confusion.

In the meantime, Mary and the others had arrived and, hearing those familiar voices from the front door, she realized that they had a very bad timing; Reiji, recognizing his father's calm and authoritative voice (with the typical mocking undertone), wondered how much time had passed since the last time he had heard him discuss so animatedly.

Shuu had taken on a deeply annoyed expression (like most of his brothers), while the Mukamis had either raised an eyebrow or tilted their head, confused by the _two titans_ politely sniping at each other; as soon as they reached the hall where Mr Ari had greeted them with a "What bad timing", they thought they would have rather dealt with the hunters a little longer.

Of course, the Sakamaki brothers would have preferred anything else than facing Karlheinz; Ayato, Kanato and Laito showed the most annoyed expressions, whereas Subaru, on the contrary to what someone would have expected, was observing the Glass Lady, surprised by her ability to stand up to his father.

\- Mother – Mark murmured to get her attention.

\- Not now, my dear son, I'm talking - the woman replied quickly, pausing the discussion after excusing herself to the Vampire King and relaxing a little as she saw her son.

The young man exchanged glances with the twin, in front of the curious vampires, and tried again to call his mother.

\- Mother…

\- Mark, it's not polite... – the Glass Lady turned again to him, after having apologized for the interruption with Karlheinz, facing a pair of puppy eyes.

The corners of her mouth lowered slightly, still cracking a smile, and her eyes narrowed.

Mark blinked, his sweet gaze standing against her strict one.

His mother sighed, smiling a little amused and at the same time severe.

\- Just because you aren't wrong that it wouldn't be good to go on, but I won't tolerate this attitude of your otherwise, my dear son, you're not a spoiled child. Karl, - she turned back to the vampire, who smiled a little disappointed not to be able to linger longer in that _pleasant_ conversation - I'm sorry, we must end it here.

 _That "I'm sorry" sounds so bad_ , Mary thought perplexed, high fiving her brother and at the same time stroking Shuu's hand, who had just wrapped his arms around her shoulders to rest head against hers, sleepy.

The Glass Lady approached them, smiling reassuringly.

\- Mark has already told me that you are all in excellent health, even if... – she observed Yui intensely, a flash of concern in her aquamarine irises - My dear, you seem quite exhausted. Why don't you ask Mrs Elena to give you something to relax, please?

The girl blinked, blushing slightly, and nodded her head, as Ayato wrapped an arm around her waist, leading her to said woman, grumbling something like "See, _Chichinashi_ , I told you that you looked strange!".

\- Mary, my lavender flower, I think the Reaper has had a bad effect on her... - the woman stated, looking at her daughter who nodded.

\- I hadn't noticed, but it is likely that Yui, since she's just become a vampire, couldn't hold up the vibrations that the Reaper radiates...

\- What are you talking about? - Reiji asked, preceding Ruki, both of them interested in the subject, whereas Shuu yawned, the other Sakamaki brothers assumed confused expressions and the Mukami listened curiously; in the meantime Yui and Ayato had joined them back, the first sipping a tea and the second frowning.

\- Reapers are demonic creatures that love to infest the human world in particular, even though they are originally from the Demon World - Karlheinz explained, approaching them; the Sakamakis' discomfort was obvious, not used to such _confidence_ \- Among their various features, they also have the ability to emit energy flows that interact with the nervous system, causing tiredness, nausea or any other symptom that causes discomfort or weakens the target. They have more effect on human beings and thus _Eve_ , as she was human once, has suffered from it.

Karlheinz was smiling and looking with indecipherable eyes at the biological and foster sons, one by one; they couldn't explain why they were feeling strange shivers.

And Ruki, Shuu, Reiji, Laito and Azusa did notice the bitter expression that the Glass Lady had shown when he had pronounced the name " _Eve_ ".

Yui kept her head bent over the cup and murmured, unheard by everyone:

\- I don't like being so weak... - her voice only reached Ayato's ears, who squeezed her side with his hand, and Mark's, who smiled as he was elaborating a secret plan in his mind.

\- Back to us - the Glass Lady spoke again, interrupting the sudden silence, making Theo to startle - As I had already mentioned, the hunters have given you some big problems... and there is nothing left but to leave this city, as others will arrive very soon, probably.

The vampires didn't widen their eyes in surprise: they knew that sooner or later they would have to move elsewhere, for whatever reason; the only thing that had surprised them was the discovery of the unhealthy projects that the hunters had developed to make themselves stronger and able to fight vampires, demons, magicians or hybrids.

Although Ayato, or Kanato, or Subaru, or Yuuma, hardly admitted it, everyone had come to a conclusion: with those hunters either you were going to die or you were prepared to face them, considering all their possible and _unlikely_ trump cards; it didn't matter how much strong they were, they had to study strategies and use themselves "tricks" to win.

Shuu snorted bored, clutching at Mary, and mumbled how much it bothered him, as Reiji gritted his teeth saying that for once he agreed with his brother; Laito chuckled and wondered where they would have been sent to and if he would have meet some beautiful ladies, Kanato smiled disturbingly that such "young ladies" could have been added to his collection of dolls; Subaru and Kou looked at the latter in disgust, whereas Azusa tugged at Yuuma's, absorbed in his thoughts, as if he was looking for something he had forgotten in his memory. Ayato murmured that it wouldn't have bothered him as long as he was with Yui, sure no one was listening to him; she lifted her raspberry-coloured eyes on him and smiled, making him blush and stutter embarrassed that he had said nothing.

Karlheinz carefully watched the eldest son and the girl, then the other son pouting at Yui; the corner of his mouth bent into a smug smile, glared at by the Glass Lady, as she was also stared at by Ruki, whose mind had been working for quite a while on some hypotheses...

\- Glass Lady, I suppose you intend to send them to our town - Morten suggested, caressing a little plant on a table and ignoring Mr Ari's mumbled reproach, as a second later he had to retract his fingers so that they wouldn't get chomped off by that plant.

\- Exactly, Morten-kun. Yes, Mary, my dear daughter, it's time for you to come back home - the woman stressed, staring intently at her daughter who had been about to argue, looking down slightly frustrated.

 _I don't feel like coming back there yet..._

Shuu, feeling the discomfort of his beloved, rubbed her shoulder with his fingers, making his father smile even more, satisfied that his plans were proceeding for the best.

 _Creepy_ , was the thought of all the vampires in noticing Karlheinz's expression.

He cleared his throat and added:

\- I have already asked some familiars to transfer your most indispensable personal effects - at this word Laito clicked his tongue, sure that much of his stuff had simply been discarded in the trash (you can well imagine what) - in the house where you will be staying at temporarily.

\- I hope you weren't referring to me with "familiar" – Mr Ari muttered, refraining from calling him with some _not so decent_ epithets, then turning to the vampires - I personally went to your houses to collect what might be useful during the journey in some suitcase and got each of you a clean change of clothes to wear before leaving... and as I see I did a good job, so I hope you'll forgive my indiscretion - he concluded, looking at them from top to bottom: their clothes were torn, dirty and worn. Before they could even open their mouths, not clear whether to protest or to thank him, Mr Ari had already turned away and locked himself in a room after showing where the shower was.

\- You'll leave tonight with a train going to Hachinohe, where... you'll be guided by Mary - the Glass Lady briefly summarized, smiling at her daughter who blinked perplexed and then jumped and looked at the twin and the two friends.

\- We're not going together?! – she snapped, as Theo giggled massaging the back of his neck, Mark lowered his head in an apologetic gesture and Morten, snorting, sank his index finger on her forehead.

\- Look, we're going to hinder some hunter, we're not going on holiday! You're gonna be all comfortable on the train, while we're gonna save our ass from getting kicked!

Mary curled her lips, pouting, unable to protest, and let Shuu whisper in her ear that it would have been better this way: they could have spent all the time to sleep quietly; the brothers looked at him _not_ surprised, Kou raised an eyebrow and Ruki rubbed his nose bridge, muttering something under his breath, as Azusa kept on trying to draw Yuuma's attention, who couldn't remember that thing that seemed so much important yet.

The Glass Lady smiled at the vampires and elegantly bowed her head, bidding them farewell and wishing them a safe journey, and informed them that she and Karlheinz would have gone to the Demon World to resolve particular sensitive issues: they wouldn't have been reachable for a while of time. The woman and the vampire exchanged a knowing look (someone would have sworn to have seen a hint of annoyance in her) and they left whispering to each other, towards the exit.

Silence fell, and everyone looked at each other, then dropped their eyes on Elena, who had remained aloof to observe them; she blushed and quickly set off for a table to rummage through an inner drawer, pulling out two glass bottles and approaching Mary to deliver them to her.

\- You do know what are these, don't you?

Mary sighed and nodded, turning the two objects between her fingers; Elena smiled bitterly and turned to the three boys who were awaiting orders from her, as she had been instructed to direct their intervention in that city.

\- Let's proceed with the mission: Morten, inspects from above; Mark, listen to their conversations; Theo, interfere with their means of communication and displacement.

The three nodded and, after bidding Mary and the vampires farewell, took their leave.

\- We'll see each other in the hospital, Mary-chan - he smiled and disappeared into a cloud of green steam, the girl moving it away from her by waving her hand, annoyed.

Mr Ari had left the room and had stopped to look at them, annoyed.

\- Well? Get ready and scram as soon as possible!

 _We're in a good mood today, huh?_ , Mary thought, not listening to the irritated or resentful comments of some vampires.

\- I LEFT THAT DAMNED HAMSTER IN THE GARDEN! – Yuuma suddenly yelled, making everyone jump out of surprise, except for Mary who looked at him, blinking impassively, and pointed at her own hair.

\- Actually, it has always been here...

And the same hamster came out of her hair, under the wide opened eyes (and mouths) of them all.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	26. Chapter 25

_Chapter 25_

Only three compartments had been reserved for them on the train; they were twelve people, so they had to split into groups of four: but _who would have been with whom_? After various discussions that had almost led them to lose the train, the bizarre combinations had been chosen: Ruki, Yuuma, Shuu and Mary; Subaru, Kou, Azusa and Reiji; Laito, Kanato, Ayato and Yui.

It is superfluous to add that the albino had been the most unhappy because of the it (excluding Ruki who would have endured a certain blond comfortably sleeping on the lap of his unrequited love), although it could have been worse: had he been with one of the triplets instead of the other brother, probably the train would have been destroyed.

The journey would have lasted several hours and only two had passed since the departure; and some were already about to jump out of the window...

* * *

Ruki had tried to read, but, as Yuuma had pointed out to him, he had remained still on the first page of the chosen book since he had opened it; perhaps his eyes had even glued to the first words, without going on.

He hadn't looked at them from the start, however, the vampire had perceived their movements, their voices, their scents: he knew that Shuu had laid down on Mary, not very happy because it hindered a little her movements; he was blissfully snoring and would sometimes wake up to exchange some not very intimate effusion (otherwise the girl would have kept him suspended in the air against the ceiling), grumbling about the presence of the two Mukami, Yuuma in particular who had answered with sharp snipes.

Had they started to kiss, it would have been enough...!

\- Sh- _Shuu_! Stop it! - the protested girl, jolting out of embarrassment, as the blond kissed her neck after taking away the phone where she was playing some puzzles; he had wrapped his arms around her waist and rubbed his forehead against her face, tickling her skin with his golden curls.

Ruki snapped the book shut, placed it on the seat, got up stiffly and exited the compartment with firm steps; his brother didn't notice anything, because he had fallen asleep and was snoring like a log.

Mary wrinkled her lips and glared at the vampire, who shrugged and, while grinning, he kissed her lips after caressing them with his index finger, eating them eagerly and enjoying the vexed moans of the young woman who soon gave way...

* * *

Laito grunted noisily, his face supported by both hands and his elbows resting on his thighs, his back bent; bored, his green eyes glanced at Kanato, next to him, clutching his Teddy in his arms with whom he exchanged occasional words, for example, asking him whether in the city of the half witch they sold sweets and what kinds, or complaining about how irritating Yui and Ayato were.

The older brother turned his gaze on the couple, agreeing that their presence wasn't so funny: it seemed that Ayato had excluded them from his mind, imagining that he was alone with his girlfriend, with whom he was chatting about anything, holding her hand or surrounding her shoulders with one arm, and occasionally looking away while blushing, caught by surprise by some sincere and positive comments of her about him.

After about ten minutes of staring at them, he decided it was time to get out and take a breath of fresh air, away from that couple and that ungrateful little brother who had no longer looked at him since the departure (maybe even before).

Laito put his hat on his head, straightening it up, and without saying anything, got up and left the compartment, walking along the hallway of the wagon and thinking if there were any nice girls to hit on aboard.

* * *

Subaru was feeling oppressed.

Oppressed by the limited space of the compartment where he was and by the three vampires with whom he was sharing it.

Oppressed by Kou, too lively and talkative, who didn't stop from talking to him and harassing him with questions and protests that urged him to be more cheerful.

Oppressed by Azusa who was grabbing and shaking his hand in his, begging him to beat him up, wither to vent his anger on him or just for training.

Oppressed by a Reiji who was keeping an eye on him, worse than a sniper, ready to knock him out in case the anger caused by the unpleasant situation would break out.

He was suffocating, he felt hassled, he wanted to escape, a scream begged him to open his mouth; he clenched his fists very hard, his nails now stuck in his skin, veins throbbing in every possible place.

Then he saw Laito passing by through the window of the sliding door, whistling, one arm around the neck of a slightly embarrassed young girl.

\- Reiji, if you let me out I swear I won't break anything. Otherwise... - he stated, clenching his fists; Kou turned away from him, paling and feigning (or not) to shrink in the corner, and Azusa, his eyes shining impatiently, turned to Reiji to urge him not to let the albino out.

The vampire adjusted his glasses, making two quick calculations in his mind.

If Subaru had gone out, perhaps he would have calmed down; but at least Kou would have been silent (he had threatened him at the time that would have made him ingest some poison if he had disturbed him) and Azusa would have devoted himself to self-injury (not a great result, but better than anything else; at least he knew nothing about his whip...).

\- You're dismissed.

Subaru came out immediately, feeling as light as ever, as he heard Kou complaining about being bored without him, while Azusa curled his lips, sulking.

* * *

Ruki had never lived such a boring experience on the train: he had left the book in the compartment and didn't want to return and take it back; he had turned back and forth from one wagon to another, exploring almost all of them and without getting anything satisfactory (not even having eavesdropped the pervert _triplidiot_ behind some door, busy with some stranger); finally, he had just stop to stand still in front of a window, observing the landscape and the cities getting farther and farther, disinterested.

 _Anyway: how come trains with compartments still exist...?_

His casual thoughts stopped as his nose smelled another vampire approaching, which he recognized to be Subaru.

\- Oh. The youngest Sakamaki, eh - Ruki grinned, observing the albino, who halted in front of the adjacent window with a puff of impatience.

\- Tch – he just answered, keeping his gaze fixed on the external environment; the eldest of the Mukami brothers snorted and turned away.

Both of them were silent for a couple of minutes; the first to break the ice was Subaru, who cleared his throat and clicked his tongue, irritated, making the other vampire to frown and ask the question he had already formulated before, after carefully observing the Sakamaki brothers.

\- You and your brothers don't really get along, do you?

\- I don't even consider _them_ my brothers - the albino muttered contemptuously, clenching his fists, and went on before the other could ask more – I see you do get along, on the contrary, even though you're not related by blood.

Ruki stared at him, focusing on the vermilion eye that was looking down.

\- I envy you a little... - Subaru murmured in a feeble voice, turning to the other side.

The dark-haired vampire narrowed his eyes and returned to the landscape, thoughtful and slightly embarrassed by the situation; the reason couldn't be explained, but after a few minutes he said:

\- I noticed that you put up a little more with the firstborn...

Subaru groaned, huffing.

\- With good manners maniac that looks like a menstrual woman, a hysterical brat walking around a stuffed animal, an idiot who believes to be the king, a pervert who do it with a wardrobe if there were no more women, Shuu is definitely the most tolerable! – he vented, rubbing his head with a frustrated gesture – I couldn't stand him for a while, though, because he was with the ugly witch...

\- "Ugly witch", _heh_... - Ruki repeated, amused, and then got serious and reflected on the last words – Don't tell me that you too have a crush on her...? - he whispered more to himself, almost unconsciously.

Subaru blinked and looked at him strangely.

\- "You too"?

The young Mukami managed not to blush visibly, realizing his mistake, and shrugged his shoulders, grinding his teeth and warning him to ignore what had escaped his mouth; the other said nothing more after whispering that he no longer felt anything for _her_.

Silence fell again, even more awkward, soon interrupted by the voices of some girls and that of a _certain acquaintance of theirs_ who was having fun with them; they exchanged an annoyed look and walked away, conversing on how much they both agreed that _some individuals_ were really unbearable.

\- Changing the topic - Ruki sighed after a while, returning to the compartments - I guess Kou kept on harassing you.

\- Agh, don't talk about it... don't you have a free seat? – the albino muttered, twisting his nose at the thought of sitting next to that idol again.

\- I had gone out because your brother _was courting_ the "ugly witch", to put it mildly - the vampire ruffled his hair with an annoyed gesture, sighing again.

\- But there's the other with them, right...? – Subaru asked, a little bothered by the news.

Ruki stared at him silently before answering.

\- He was sleeping…

Both widened their eyes open and rushed into said compartment, opening the door abruptly and stiffening: Yuuma was snoring, Mary was sleeping on top of him with crumpled clothes (which had presumably been fixed as best as possible) and on her face there was still some redness caused by the _intense attentions_ received by Shuu, who was lying down unconscious on the other side, with a showy bump on his forehead.

The two vampires huffed out of relief, thanking the giant's readiness.

* * *

Reiji had risked another nervous failure, after retrieving the mannerless brother who didn't want to separate from the girls with whom he had spent the time during the trip; Mary's glare had sufficed to make Laito cease his behaviour and at last all of them had left the train with their luggage, tired and stunned as never before.

Kou was keeping an eye on Azusa, fearing he could have even thrown himself on the rails in order to get hurt; Ayato glared at the young passers-by who dared to comment on his girlfriend, who was pressed against his chest, a considerable redness on her cheeks and on the tips of her ears. Laito whistled, looking around and winking at the girls, without being noticed by his older brother who had taken off his glasses to rub his eyes.

Ruki and Subaru glared at Shuu, who had bent his head to Mary to let her examine the bump Yuuma had caused him, the giant explaining and justifying his action; the girl was clutching her lips to hold back from laughing, occasionally glancing at them, and stood on tiptoe to kiss the handsome vampire's forehead, as the giant snorted, bored, hiding a sneer at the blond's red cheeks.

Reiji, having calmed down a little and making sure that all the brothers, Mukami and Yui were present, had looked around, observing the few people who crowded the station, and turned to Mary:

\- It's strange that there are so few people. Where do we have to go now, exactly?

\- Usually this is one of those times when a small number of people travels... Now we have to reach that elevator and get off at the last underground floor; then we will head for a secret exit and walk for a while, all the way to a protected bay.

Shuu grunted, already exhausted at the thought of all that movement; Kanato asked if there wasn't a simpler way, but the young woman shook her head.

\- It's the safest way to get to the island where my city is. Are you covered enough? Even if you're vampires, you have to keep in mind that it's much colder here and that we'll have to be outdoors for a while... - her gaze focused in particular on Yuuma, worried by the only scarf he was wearing over his huge black cardigan.

\- Nah, chill out, _chubby_ \- he chuckled ruffling her hair.

Ayato took off his jacket and put it over Yui's shoulders, mumbling that he thought she wasn't covered enough; the girl blinked at first, surprised, then blushed and smiled happily at the boy's attitude towards her.

* * *

As soon as they arrived at the bay, the vampires (some of them rather chilly as Mary had predicted) were astonished: not out of amazement, but out of bewilderment at seeing nothing and nothing; just sea and sand in front of them, after the vast wooded area they had crossed.

Ruki cleared his throat and looked puzzled as Mary advanced on the beach, looking around and smiling as if addressing entities they couldn't see.

\- _Kachiku_ , are you sure that...?

\- Aaah, wait a minute! - she retorted, lowering herself on the ground, and seemed to communicate with something or someone, observed by the confused eyes of Subaru, Yuuma, Laito, Kou and Ayato.

Kanato began to show signs of a hysterical breakdown, Reiji quickly stepping in to try and suppress his tantrums before they turned into capricious and irritating shrieks; in the meanwhile Mary had stood up and told them to move toward the sea.

\- Even if you think you'll be putting your feet into water, do it. Then you will understand, I can't explain it to you...

The vampires exchanged unconvinced glances, Yui puzzled and thoughtful; only Azusa and Shuu proceeded and, as soon as they reached the line where the water was foaming on the shore, they disappeared, leaving the others open-mouthed out of surprise.

\- _What_ , _what happened_?! – Kou yelped, confused, widening his eyes even more as his little brother reappeared.

\- Come on... trust me... it's magic...

Reiji and Ruki, curious to understand what it was, imitated them and soon all of the others followed them.

As soon as they set foot in the water, sinking instead into other sand, they found themselves in a further extension of the beach and marvelled as they stared at the island that suddenly appeared in the mid of the sea before them, reachable through by a low bridge. Mary smiled, pleased with their expressions, and explained that it was thanks to some sprites' who hid the island and that part of the beach from the sight of prying eyes.

\- And if someone accidentally comes here and discovers it while he simply wanted to swim in the sea? - Kou asked, as Subaru muttered why he was the only one questioning and disturbing the others with his voice.

\- There are wizards at the edge of this wood to keep an eye on the area – the girl replied, turning back to nod at the group of trees that functioned as a natural barrier.

\- _AH_?! – Ayato shouted, jerking, pointing with a finger at a row of strange black little beings behind them - What are _these things_?!

\- They're sprites - Mary smiled, greeting them.

The tiny creatures resembled a cluster of five black pebbles, with the size of an orange, the upper one resembling a head, deducing it from the circles that could be seen as eyes and the line as a mouth; they moved their heads in a movement similar to that of many little bells and the noise produced reminded them of the rustling of the leaves.

Mary stared at the island in silence, as the vampires approached the sprites, curious and amazed.

She recognized the cliff where was located the school she had attended.

From a distance she recognized the shape of its ruins: a sort of crescent, as if a spherical explosion had destroyed and taken away a large part of the building.

 _And she had been the cause_.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	27. Chapter 26

_Chapter 26_

Mary and Shuu yawned in unison, scornfully glared at by Reiji who commented on how his brother was influencing her; the couple had exchanged bored looks and had rolled their eyes to the sky, ignoring him.

They were walking across the bridge, unable to take advantage of the mobile structure that would have transported them faster, since the gears had become unavailable because of the cold weather.

\- _Ne_ , how do you feel about being back home~? – Kou asked, reaching the half-witch and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, curious; she shrugged.

\- Mh, I'm not _that_ enthusiastic...

\- _Eeeeh_?! But don't you have friends here?!

\- That's true... - Mary murmured, mentally focusing on familiar faces, wondering if they had remained the same over a year and a half or if they had changed; considering one of her four _kohai_ , she denied this possibility.

The blond curled his lips and tried to get some more details on why she wasn't so happy, until he decided that he would have had more satisfaction at bothering Subaru, rather than being ignored by the girl, who cracked a victorious smile as Kou let her go.

Soon her grin disappeared because, as soon as they were a quarter way through, she sensed unusual vibes; she looked up at the tall columns holding the complicated network of narrow, raised streets used to keep an eye on the surroundings, thanks to some volunteers.

She felt like someone had been staring her since their arrival...

Someone she knew but at the same time couldn't recognize...

\- Mary? – Shu called her by whispering in her, having noticed her uneasiness.

\- Ah... it's nothing - she whispered, smiling slightly, thinking that maybe Theo and Mark would have been able to explain her strange feeling that was gradually growing stronger and more disturbing.

\- Cho-himeee! – they heard Theo shouting, not far from them, as he waved, with Morten standing next to him and making sure he wouldn't raise the volume of his voice too much, so not to risk causing other earthquakes.

The vampires felt internally very relieved to see them, since they represented the end of that journey and the beginning of something new: in the past, especially the Mukamis, they hadn't been able to attend places with wizards and witches, so there was this excitement towards the unknown and unexpected (perhaps someone was a little less enthusiastic about new experiences, like Shuu or Subaru).

\- Did you have a good trip? – the short-haired wizard immediately asked, looking at them a little nervously; even Kanato was taller than him...

\- It was a bit tiring, but there were no problems - Ruki replied before Reiji, annoying him and perhaps voluntarily, as his eyes fell on the four figures who were watching them from the stairs carved into the rock in front of them.

Mary had widened her eyes and blushed slightly as she noticed them too, awkward.

Sitting on the last step was Claire, her best friend, with her elbows resting on her thighs and her face in her hands, smiling a little mischievously and looking attentively at the vampires with her purple eyes clashing with her red hair.

Leaning against the wall supporting the handrail stood Anna, arms crossed, her long braid of platinum blonde hair flashing against her dark blue jacket, peering at them while seeming a little arrogant with her stone-coloured eyes.

A little above was Finn, Morten's younger sister with pitch-black hair, so still that Subaru, Yuuma and Ayato almost mistook her for a statue, with her hands tucked into her pockets and her blue eyes staring at Azusa who was staring back at her, unreadable.

At last, on the top step was Isa, who smiled cheerfully and a little shy with her red cheeks, her amber irises nearly hidden by the chestnut bangs, and she was the only one standing up and _running_ towards her senpai, who paled.

\- _MARY-SENPAIIIII_! - she shouted, jumping on her, arms wrapping around her neck, causing her to lose her balance and fall ruinously to the ground on her back.

\- Ouch, _Isacchi_... - Mary mumbled, telling her to move off and grinding her teeth as she held her tightly, stare at by the vampires, some puzzled, some amused; finally, the half-witch felt that weight leaving her body, since the young _kohai_ had been raised by her coat by Anna, irritated.

\- _Isa_! It's not polite to behave like this in front of guests! - the blonde reproached her, furious; the other murmured apologies, breaking in a cold sweat and begging her to let her go.

\- _Look who's talking_ , I bet my gems that within ten minutes you'll begin yelling at them! - the red-haired girl exclaimed, giggling, getting up and walking with stumbling steps towards Mary, giving Anna a mocking look so that she bit her lips to stop herself from insulting her - _Cho-hime_! I'm glad to see you again, _hehehe_ ~! - she said tenderly, hugging the friend who had stood up

Laito had been staring at her silently and blinking, curious; the other five brothers tilted their heads, thinking that that tone of voice sounded rather familiar...

\- Hi, _Claire_ \- Mary replied simply, cracking a sincere and serene smile, and hugged her back, then she turned her eyes to the other figure that was still standing apart, expressionless - _Ficchan_ , why don't come here to say hello?

The tiny girl slowly descended the stairs, as Claire moved sideways, hastening her steps in approaching her senpai and hugging her tightly; the vampires had their mouth almost wide open: from a distance she had looked quite short, but compared to the half-witch, those thirty centimetres of difference in their heights were impressive.

\- _Senpai_ \- she whispered, letting her stroke her hair while smiling softly; Finn immediately broke away and looked into Azusa's eyes, both impassive.

Kou, Ruki and Yuuma looked at them in confusion and exchanged questioning glances.

\- _Anna_ \- Mary turned to the _kohai_ with whom she had always had a stormy relationship with; the latter glared at her, arms folded, a bit undecided and a bit sulky.

\- Good morning, Mary-senpai - she just muttered, looking away; the girl gave a small smile and nodded her head, then turned to Morten.

\- Have you already prepared the bedrooms?

\- Aaah that's right, Theo, you and I have to talk about other stuff... - the young man answered a little agitated, beckoning her to approach him and rubbing the back of his neck; the three retired to talk, leaving the four witches to get to know the vampires.

\- _Yoroshiku ne_ ~ I am Claire, hehe~ - the redhead introduced herself with a honey-like sweet voice, assuming a slightly frivolous pose; Laito chuckled and approached her to kiss her hand and his brothers looked at her for a moment and then exclaimed a "oh" in unison.

\- There was no need for the female version of this _hentai_ \- Subaru muttered with a dark face, as Reiji rubbed his nose bridge, mumbling "Such _indecency_!" and Ayato scratched his head, huffing.

Shuu thought a little bored that maybe everything would finally be fixed up, in that place; that way, he would have had Mary just for himself... he silently glared at Ruki, who had his back turned to him and was staring disgusted at Laito, as he mischievously sweet-talked with Claire, her fingers on her giggling lips.

\- I'm Anna, nice to meet you – the witch with a long blond braid said, with cold courtesy, annoyed by the friend's behaviour; she a hand on the shoulder of the youngest of the quartet - This is Isa, please be patient with her, sometimes she suddenly becomes too lively, although she gets embarrassed easily.

\- Nice to meet ya! – said girl exclaimed after pouting at that accurate but not very nice description.

Silence suddenly fell, as everyone's eyes turned to the shortest witch, waiting for her to introduce herself; yet, it seemed that the silent young girl had lost herself in Azusa's eyes... and only then everyone noticed that she squeezing his hand.

\- A- _Azusa_... ?! - Yuuma called him, puzzled, his eye twitching and a funny grimace on his face; Kou put his hands on his little brother's shoulders, shaking him slightly, and Ruki tried to get his attention.

\- Ruki... I found... my future... bride... – the minute vampire murmured, looking at Finn with enchanted eyes.

\- WHAT?! - was the general reaction shouted; even the other three girls were shocked.

Only Laito had blinked and then smiled mischievously, whispering something in Claire's ear whoimitated his expression.

\- She's... _ah_ ~... destroying... the bones... of my hand... - Azusa moaned in a bliss, a background noise actually resembling that of breaking bones.

The giant and the idol emitted a groan of exasperation, turning their eyes to the sky and facepalming; Ruki remained motionless and expressionless, though he was probably mentally wondering why none of his brothers were a little more normal (they were still better than the Sakamakis, that for sure).

Anna mumbled to Isa that all they needed was for the newcomers to make the young girls in their city fall in love with them, but she stopped as soon as she saw that the _kohai_ was looking radiantly at one of the boys who, following her gaze, she discovered being the albino, who, along with the other brothers, was looking sickly at Laito, his arms wrapped around Claire's waist (No comment).

 _No. No. NO_ , she thought, putting a hand on her forehead, deeply resentful; she would have preferred such a thing to never happen, but now who would have stopped Isa from chasing her first love? She sighed desperately and turned to the three who had left to discuss about the bedrooms' arrangement and some other topic and thoughtfully paused on Mary's figure, concern in her grey eyes.

Then, suddenly, she heard a faint voice calling for her from behind and turned, looking down at the blonde that the vampires had brought with them and that, from what she had seen and understood, was the girlfriend of the arrogant red head.

\- Nice to meet you, I'm Komori Yui! - the girl smiled, holding her hand towards her.

Anna smiled after a moment of bewilderment and grabbed it, then letting Isa hold it with both her hands, assuring her that she would have fun with them; she heard Claire apologize to Laito and seemed to hear a suspicious "smack" and the purple-eyed girl also approached Yui to welcome her in a hug, making her blush with her comments on how cute and _small_ she was (no need to say that Ayato was blatantly jealous).

Because of the proximity, Yui sensed the scent emanated from Claire resembling Mary's; this could mean only one thing.

\- Claire-san... are you a half-witch and half-demon?

Said girl widened her eyes and stared at her open-mouthed, surprised by that question, and nodded, smiling afterwards.

\- Ah, I see! You're a vampire now, so you know how to recognize these things now, hehe~! Congratulations, not everyone can succeed after such a short time since awakening!

Yui gave her a toothy smile, flattered by her compliment, not realizing that the half-demon had already known of her new nature (thanks to Mark's gossips).

In the meantime, Morten had approached the vampires.

\- Ok, the bedrooms should be ready by tonight; as for any blood supply, you can either contact Martha, Theo's girlfriend who you'll meet this afternoon, since she's a vampire too, or you can go straight to the hospital and ask for Dr Kuragehime, who will give you some blood bags.

The vampires were a little stunned by that availability and didn't know how to react if not with a nod of approval; only Ruki and Reiji had thanked him with their voices, politely.

Casted a confused and frowning glance at his little sister who hadn't stopped squeezing Azusa's hand yet, the blond was about to add something more, but Anna had interrupted him, having carefully watched Mary who was still talking withTheo.

\- She seems too quiet, doesn't she know about...? - she asked, causing several questions in the vampires and the other three girls, who appeared rather uneasy; Morten shook his head, serious, and she cried out:

\- _YOU DIDN'T TELL HER!?_

Her scream was followed by a continuous echo that dissolved in the air several seconds later; Theo and Mary had turned to the group, perplexed, while Morten was rubbing his forehead muttering disconnected phrases, annoyed.

Mary headed toward them and frowned, suspecting what Anna was referring to: after all, Theo and Mark had told her that they had something important to inform her about.

\- _What_ haven't you told me? - she asked sternly, shifting her gaze to each of them.

Isa kept her eyes down and her lips tight, Anna grunted, clutching her braid with her hands in a gesture of annoyance, Claire stared at her best friend with sorry expression, Finn didn't even blink (but Azusa felt her grip intensify); Morten exchanged a knowing look with Theo and, letting a disgruntled sigh out, told her:

\- It'd be better if Mark told you...

\- _Aneki_ , I'll take you there right away - the aforementioned suddenly appeared behind the twin, making someone jump out of fear; Mary turned to look at him and nodded, still frowning and she squeezed his hand, following her brother towards a place she soon recognized being the graveyard.

The vampires watched them as they left, before being invited by the four (or three and a half) witches and the two wizards to enter the city.

* * *

 _I don't like it when you keep your mind closed, aniki._

 _Meh._

 _Cooome ooon, you can't do this to me. We've been a single mind since forever._

 _Meh._

 _I won't make you pancakes for tomorrow's breakfast._

 _Be patient, come on..._

 _I knew that the pancakes would have worked, dear brother~._

Mark smiled and affectionately squeezed his sister's hand as they walked among the gravestones; he didn't really want her to find out what had happened during her absence...

They stopped in front of one of those headstones raising from the ground towards the sky: the name "Ryan Plum" was engraved on the surface; Mary stared at those letters with melancholy eyes, in her mind a million images floating in front of her, _memories_.

Mark took a deep breath and backed away, letting her go and lowering his head, empty eyes that didn't want to "meet" his sister's, who gave him a questioning look; however, something in her head was beginning to process certain signals she had unwittingly received.

\- _Aniki_...? What are you hiding?

The twin didn't answer, biting his lips.

\- What happened…? - she asked again, insisting and raising her tone of voice, restless and _scared_.

\- _Mary-chan_.

Her heart stopped beating for a moment, and at the same instant she turned back to the headstone, to the familiar voice that had called her; her lips trembled and her dark eyes widened, meeting a pair of icy irises that were full of warmth, _affection_ , and also slight _bitterness_.

His face was slightly grey and seemed full stichings.

Long purple hair with locks of different shades framed his face.

He was wearing elegant clothes and his typical lilac feathered scarf.

His sweet smile was addressed to _his dear Mary-chan_.

With a shaky voice, her eyes tearing and incredulous, with a feeble voice she whispered:

\- _Ryan_... _senpai_...?

* * *

 **Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!  
Please review and comment!**


	28. Chapter 27

_Chapter 27_

The vampires were looking the surroundings, intrigued by the multitude of young people on the city's streets: some were chatting while sitting at a table of what looked like a bar, others were working on an electricity generator, and more were joking among them.

What impressed them was the network of narrow streets above their heads, where a couple or more of youth sporadically wandered, wearing a kind of uniform; Anna explained that they were internal security officers, adding that the blue ribbon on their right arm distinguished them from those who controlled the external surrounding environment, who had a yellow coloured ribbon.

\- And the red ribbon? - Kanato muttered questioningly as his eyes stared at man (the first they saw being older than thirty years old) with said accessory around his arm.

\- Ah, those are worn by the elders who take care of the most important stuff- Isa exclaimed, waving to a group of girls who had passed by, her classmates; she was a little annoyed by their enthusiastic glances at the albino and thought she should probably make the first move...

... thus she had approached him, pretending nonchalance.

\- About the elders... I noticed that there are just a few of them...? - Kou muttered perplexed, ruffling his hair a little.

\- This island is sort of divided into two parts - Anna, who was leading the group, stopped and turned to look at them - One is this city, where young people learn to fend for themselves, besides studying and stuff; the other, which is fifteen minutes by car from here, is where we are born and live during the early years, and then return to if we decide there's nothing more to do here... Obviously I summed it up and, for God's sake, _CLAIRE_! Pull yourself together! – she suddenly snapped to the friend who hadn't stopped flirting with Laito since the beginning.

The others had tried to ignore them, disgusted, but it didn't help, and they sighed out of relief when the girl finally separated from him, although apologizing in a cheerful way; the other instead wrinkled his lips, sulking, and then smiled again at her winking.

\- Interesting - Ruki said, rubbing his chin, as Yuuma chuckled that surely the Sakamaki brothers wouldn't have been able to orient themselves in the hypothetical case they had been left to themselves in that city.

Reiji cleared his throat and gave the giant a dirty look, warning him not to associate him with those inept brothers of his, in particular the eldest who was yawning; Shuu wasn't that bored, actually, if anything he was worried about Mary, who had not returned yet even if forty minutes had already passed since they had ventured into that city, led by the four girls as if in a tourist trip (an excellent one, too).

Yui's eyes were shining; she hadn't seen so many young people outside school, and the fact that Isa was making friends with her (she was holding her arm in arm, in fact) made her happy; Ayato was a little less happy, as jealous as he was, but seeing her enthusiastic smile made him think that maybe he could have bear with it...

The Mukami brothers, among the vampires, were surely the most fascinated.

If Reiji was interested by a "strategic" point of view, Kanato and Ayato were looking for sweets and _takoyaki_ , Shuu was distracted and Laito was looking at Claire's behind, on the other hand Ruki was feeling strangely euphoric and wandering everywhere, Kou was blinking at anyone, noticing how different they looked from the usual boring people he would meet at work or at school, Yuuma was admiring some who were working hard, and Azusa was looking a little jealous at groups of friends joking among them.

Oh, and _Subaru_.

The albino was silent, an indecipherable grimace etched on his face; Isa was observing him, confused and wondering what was upsetting him and, with a lot of courage and blushing a lot, she pulled his sleeve to get his attention.

\- Are you all right, Subaru-kun?

\- O-Oi... let me go... – he stammered with an eye twitching, without wagging his arm despite the impulse to do so; the witch immediately let him go, apologizing in a very agitated manner - B- _Be quiet_! I don't bite!

They both fell silent and looked at each other; she stifled an amused laugh and he rubbed his neck, shaking his head, embarrassed.

\- Anyway, I'm just annoyed. Too much noise, too many people... and I'm with _these guys_ \- he mumbled contemptuously narrowing his eyes at his brothers in particular.

\- Don't you like company? Not even with those you could get along with? - the girl asked, tilting her head tenderly.

Subaru bit the inside of his cheek, shooing the thought of how much she looked pretty, and turned his gaze away, snorting.

\- It's a w-waste of ti-time ... _yes_ , _a waste of time_.

Isa thought the answer wasn't very convincing and he himself wasn't very convinced; before she could say anything about it, Morten, who had been left behind with Theo all the time on their own business, had started arguing with Anna as he had reached her to tell her that it was time to head for the house straight away.

Azusa whispered if it wasn't the case to interfere (in case they has started to hit each other), but Finn wisely held him back through a very tight grip around his arm, making him moan with happiness; Ruki looked at them with a puzzled look, sighing.

\- Forgive them, they always fight - Claire exclaimed, resting her hands on the arms that Laito had just wrapped around her waist, taking advantage of Anna's distraction.

\- And just because she accidentally hit him with her elbow in the eye? - Yuuma commented, incredulous, scratching his head; Theo put a hand on his shoulder.

\- You know, his height...

A silence of compassion fell for Morten, interrupted by the giant who, holding back a cruel laughter, decided to put an end to that quarrel, too annoying to endure.

\- Oi, quit it! – he snapped, banging a hand against the wall and shaking the surrounding structure (a little flat where little girl was leaving and who jumped because of that mini-earthquake); the blond-haired wizard looked at him from below, even more irritated.

\- Don't meddle in, _Giraffeman_!

Silence. Yuuma felt his eye twitching and announcing a violent clash between him and the little guy; he was terrible in English, but even a fool would have understood what that nickname meant.

\- What did you say, _Chibi_?

\- Hah?! Who are you talking with, _you_ _beanpole_?

\- Stop it, you two! – Anna reproached them, trying to suppress the desire to fight with both; after all, there were guests, they had to behave in a calm and friendly way...

\- Shut up, _Goldilocks_! This is business between men! If we can consider this pipsqueak a man - Yuuma chuckled, flashing a mocking look at Morten, who blushed with rage and began to stutter; Anna, however, had become black with hatred and had grabbed the collar of the giant's jacket, pulling it towards her: she hated being called "Goldilocks".

The three kept on arguing with each other, attracting the glances and chatter of passers-by, those who were amused and those who were annoyed; Theo tried to approach them and try to calm them down, but Finn stopped him, shaking her head silently.

\- Eeeh... I'll take you home, but what about them...? – he asked, holding his beret.

\- We'll just leave them here, come on! _Hehe_ ~ - Claire giggled, while stroking Laito's cheek with her finger, seductive; Theo nodded slowly, raising an eyebrow at the scene.

Reiji and Ruki, and probably the others too, thought that perhaps it would have been better to leave both of them behind, too; and as they finally started to head home, Kou didn't miss the feeling that there was someone staring at him...

* * *

\- It looks like a hovel - Ayato said, in front of the building which reminded so much of an abandoned factory, among many bare trees, with trunks covered by a thick layer of straw to protect them from the cold.

Reiji glared at him, although he quite agreed with him, but that was just the outside appearance: maybe the inside would have been in a better shape; Claire chuckled and retorted with a slightly offended tone that the vampire had spoken too soon, and then whispered to Laito that he wasn't wrong about the twin being a little silly (Ayato nearly attacked them out of offense for that insult).

Theo turned the key in the lock and invited the guests to enter, advising caution in going downstairs.

Once inside... they were pleasantly surprised.

Despite the rough and blank walls, the rest of the structure had been restructured and divided so that a mezzanine covered three quarters of the sides, one with the bedrooms' doors, the second with the bathrooms' doors and the last one leading to the entrance; descending the stairs, they were greeted by a large space: on the right there were armchairs, sofas, tables (with a television and videogames platforms) and shelves full of books against the walls; on the left there was a room protruding from the wall, probably recently added, without door, around which long and not too narrow tables had been placed along with chairs.

Morten went in with Finn, announcing that they would have made some tea, revealing it to be the kitchen; later on, Isa would have explained to Yui that there was a trapdoor communicating with the pantry and a room arranged as a private infirmary.

On the same side, at the bottom, there were several pieces of furniture with computers and various work tools, besides other indistinguishable forms due to the darkness hiding part of that area (Theo would have told Yuuma there were doors leading to the garage and the greenhouse where they were growing some edible plants and flowers); a last detail caught the vampires' eyes: four columns rose at the corners of this working area, supporting an additional room "hanging" from the ceiling, accessible through a ladder which disappeared inside a hole.

\- What the hell is that...? It looks like it could come off the ceiling and fall down at any time - Ayato muttered perplexed; Kanato agreed with him, although he added that there was something appealing and original about it.

\- What do you think? - Anna exclaimed in a tedious tone, as if to suggest that the answer was very easy to find out, as she invited everyone to sit in the "open living room".

Yui blinked and murmured in disbelief:

\- Mary-senpai and Mark-san's bedroom...?

Claire, Anna and Isa nodded, and Theo burst out laughing at the guests' expressions.

\- A special room for special twins, right? - he stated and then took his leave and headed towards the space where he would work, having some fixings to complete.

Reiji had sat in a armchair, the Mukami had occupied a sofa long enough to contain all four of them, Yui, Ayato and Kanato had settled on another sofa, Shuu had fallen into another armchair next to Subaru and... Laito was gone, who knows where with Claire.

\- We won't miss them, I believe - Anna said sourly, sitting on a chair next to Isa; she crossed her legs and arms, before giving a quick glance at everyone and clearing her throat.

\- The bedrooms are not enough... there are three rooms available for three people, and one of you will have to share another with Morten and Theo. Ah, Yui-san - she looked at said girl – you'll sleeping with us girls, since we have the biggest one.

Before Ayato could have protested, Reiji and Ruki had already accepted, albeit a little unwillingly; next, they had to arrange which of them would have shared a bedroom with others: Kanato surely with Reiji, since he could put up with him more than the others, and Ayato, considering that otherwise he would have shared the room with Subaru, Shuu and Laito (and Ayato didn't really like Morten either); the Mukami brothers _peacefully_ (the Sakamakis had _quarrelled_ ) chose Yuuma to share the two wizards' room, so that Ruki could have looked the other two.

In the meanwhile Morten had arrived with a teapot and cups on a tray and Finn with a basket of biscuits of all kinds; at its sight Kanato felt like being in his goliardic paradise.

\- Have you already thought about what to do during your stay? - Morten asked, pouring the tea into the cups and asking Isa to distribute them, the girl keeping on secretly glancing at the albino with the smile of an infatuated girl.

\- As for me, I'd be interested in visiting the city, I find it very suggestive - Reiji replied first, examining his hot drink and cracking a smile of approval at smelling its scent - I don't know what brothers want to do, but, as much as it annoys me, it'd be better if they came with me so that I can keep an eye on them, who knows what kind of troubles they could get into...

Ayato and Kanato immediately protested against theirs elder brother's words, as Subaru clicked his tongue in irritation, casting a questioning look at the little witch with amber eyes; Shuu, who had closed his eyes relaxing with the music, turned up the volume, completely ignoring that comment, rather worrying about his beloved one.

\- I see... what about you? - the blond wizard glanced at the Mukamis.

\- We'd love to visit the city too - Ruki smiled politely, sipping his tea and glaring at Yuuma and Kou, who were stuffing themselves with sweets (and Azusa was holding the cup with his hands to get burned).

\- Well, then I'll make sure I get a few days off to guide you... - Morten murmured thoughtfully, taking a chair for his little sister and grabbing his own cup of tea, drinking while standing up, until he nearly spilled everything as he jumped because of Mark, who had suddenly appeared next to him.

\- MARK! - he cried, rubbing his forehead, irritated - Stop showing up like that!

\- Meh... - the half wizard said, raising his head upwards.

\- Cho-hime? - Anna asked abruptly, staring at him darkly; Mark didn't answer right away and then murmured that they were also arriving.

\- _They_? - the witches and Morten repeated in unison, questioningly and incredulous.

They heard voices coming from the outside, intensifying as they approached, and Mary entered the front door as she uttered:

\- I've never heard of a Casanova zombie!

As she climbed down the steps with a quick and annoyed pace, the ice-eyed young man with a scarf of feathers around his neck followed her, replying with a slightly offended and a little joking smile:

\- Come on, Mary-chan, it's been so long since I've last seen them!

\- You shouldn't have seen them anymore! _You should have stayed underground_!

\- Heee, Mary-chan, _you're so cruel_ \- the young man pretended to whimper, and then finally look at the newcomers and smiled – Good evening~ I'm Ryan Plum, her ex – he introduced himself, pointing to the girl who rubbed her nose bridge exasperated.

\- Theoretically - Mark added, unfortunately not able to see the vampires' perplexed faces and Azusa, Kou, Shuu and Subaru's shocked ones (and even Laito was shocked when he found out later on) - He should be dead.

\- And some idiot brought him back by mistake - Morten continued, sighing annoyed - _That is_ , he isn't alive. It's a _corpse_ restored to its best appearance and animated.

\- Mary-senpai, are you ok? – Isa asked, worried about her friend; at first she gave her a somewhat blank look, and then forced a little smile.

\- I've been through worse? - she replied, not really convinced; the witches frowned, those worried and those slightly irritated by that answer (random name: Anna).

Shuu stared at Mary intently, quiet.

\- Oh, _hello_ , _lovely lady_! - Ryan reached Yui, who jumped surprised and blushed at that _exuberant_ approach - Did you have a good trip? Are you tired? If you want I can...

Mary threw the empty teapot at him, stopping him from going on with his advances, before Ayato could have reacted in a worse way; and Morten let out a terrifying cry of anguish at seeing that teapot shatter on the ground, a gift from an elderly lady whom he had helped in the past.

* * *

 ** _I'm so sorry for the late update! I was busy with the final exams T^T_**

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time 3_**


	29. Chapter 28

_Chapter 28_

At dinner time the vampires had been invited to sit down along the tables surrounding the kitchen walls, inside of which Morten and Finn were preparing the meal, cause of the inviting scent that had intrigued even Kanato, although it wasn't a sweet.

Theo was chatting happily with Kou, Azusa and Laito, dwelling on hilarious episodes of his childhood (which had also involved the Flyer twins); at first silent, Anna was giving Reiji some more details about the vampire sisters who had moved there about a year before, occasionally glaring at Yuuma who was looking at her sternly, still annoyed by the quarrel they both had had with Morten; the giant was listening with little interest to the conversation between Claire, who had just returned ( _breathless_ and emanating a _scent_ that the vampires had recognized with _disgust_ ), and Yui, whose waist was hold by Ayato's, jealous; Kanato was having a few words aside with Teddy, as Subaru and Shuu were distracted by Isa about the extra activities they would do in the afternoon, in particular the music course managed by Mark for the younger ones and the martial arts one managed by the Mrs Lalla, Finn and Morten's aunt.

The twins were both gone into their bedroom, her to tidy up her personal belongings that she hadn't touched for almost a year and a half, him to keep her company, after all the time he had been without her reluctantly (and no, telepathic contact hadn't been enough); at last, sitting on a chair, Ryan was staring at everyone with his lips curled, sulking and feeling completely ignored and isolated. And _maybe_ he wasn't wrong.

\- And then in the afternoon, at the sea, Markucchi and I had gone into the water and...

\- You idiots had been pricked by a jellyfish - Anna snapped as she heard him, and turned to glare at him – You felt your legs hurting so badly that _I_ had to drag you out of the water, and _thanks to you_ the jellyfish had attacked _me too_!

The vampires and the other girls were silent, those who were listening amused, those curious and those indifferent.

\- _And_ _me_! - Morten shouted from the kitchen - You had yelled at me that I should have kept an eye on him and we both had fought and then fallen in the water! _AMONG THE OTHER JELLYFISHES_!

\- Maybe you two are the idiots... - Claire murmured, massaging her jaw, making Laito and Kou giggle and bothering said "idiots".

Suddenly they heard a shriek followed by a thud; the vampires exchanged confused glances and widened their eyes out of confusion at seeing Mary the ground in pain, while the others let out an exasperated sigh.

\- Here we go again... - Anna facepalmed, as Morten made his theatrical exit with his apron on and a frying pan in hand, his face annoyed and as if to say "I hope this is a joke, it's not possible!", before returning inside the kitchen while shaking his head.

\- _Mary-senpai_! - Isa called her, standing up worried and running towards her; Shuu and Subaru were staring at her in bewilderment, not understanding what had happened.

\- _Aaa~ha_ , she has always had a poor balance! - Claire said, explaining to Laito and the other that Mary would often fall from ladders or similar structures; she also added her phobia of heights, a detail that made most of them speechless.

\- Claire - Mary hissed darkly, approaching them with a staggering step and sitting next to Shuu, ignoring his sneering expression - Please, _shut up_.

Her friend smirked, moving her fingers along her lips mimicking the gesture of closing a zipper; Anna mumbled something about her falls being a possible cause to some dysfunction in her brain, ignored and then scared by Mark's presence behind her.

\- Mo-senpai, I have to go, there's a job to do at the studio... - he said in a sorry voice; the blond exited again, placing dishes full of _spaghetti Bolognese_ in front of Kou, Theo, Laito and Azusa, as his sister did the same for Anna, Reiji, Yuuma, Claire, Yui and Ayato.

\- You should have told me sooner! Okay, your dish will be eaten by...

\- _Meee_ ~! - Ryan raised his hand, cheerfully, before avoiding a flying picture.

\- ZOMBIE DO NOT EAT PASTA! – Mary yelled at him, almost breaking Shuu's eardrum, who shifted his eyes from her to the other with obvious annoyance.

\- Theo - Morten muttered, rolling his eyes at the interruption.

Mark nodded faintly and shook his hand to greet everyone, before heading for the entrance and leave at the speed of sound; in the meanwhile the two siblings had brought the rest of the dishes to Kanato, Isa, Subaru, Shuu, Mary and for themselves.

\- Hm? Where's... - Mary refrained from using the nickname, coughing - Ruki-kun?

\- He's resting in his room - Yuuma replied nonchalantly, giving a disgusted look at Kou who was already devouring the meal, amazed by its tastiness.

Mary nodded, looked at the plate and smiled: she had missed Morten and Finn's cooking.

\- Sage, basil, chives, thyme, oregano, marjoram and a pinch of paprika.

\- YOU HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED TO EAT, _CHO-HIME_!

And she had also missed the guess-the-spices challenges with Morten and his looks of bewilderment at her guessing everything without even tasting the food.

The Sakamaki brothers looked at each other a bit disoriented, not used to those bizarre situations; on the contrary, the Mukamis smiled a little amused and at ease.

* * *

Kanato was quietly laying on the bed and whispering to Teddy, without complaining or annoying the other two brothers; and they would have had to thank _Saint_ _Finn_ , who had quickly stuffed the purple-eyed vampire with lots of sweets after hearing him moan sadly that he would have liked a dessert after dinner.

Reiji was enduring the grumbling coming from the covers wrapped around Ayato, not tolerating the thought of having been separated from Yui and that the latter was chatting so cheerfully with the other girls, in the next room.

At the same time, the vampire who had just put the glasses on the night table next to him, reflected on what had happened during that day and remembered the descriptions of those two vampires that Anna had told him about, wondering who they could be, since he had understand that they were of noble lineage.

* * *

Yui, on the other hand, was feeling at ease with those four witches who had welcomed her into their room, Finn sacrificing her bed for a _futon_ on the floor in order to let her sleep comfortably; Anna had given her a few pats on the head, listening comprehensively to her long adventure started by meeting with the Sakamaki, occasionally making fun and snide remarks about them.

Claire was listening and giggling, then she had winked at her as the others had annoyingly hinted at the relationship she had already established with Laito; Yui deduced that the half demon was similar to the vampire more than she had thought... and certain details made her realize that far darker things had involved her in the past.

Isa, who seemed the most enthusiastic about making friends with her, was squeezing her hands between hers, chatting about this and that, particularly focusing on the great admiration she felt towards her _senpai_ and jumping with joy knowing that Yui was sharing her opinions (albeit for different causes).

At last, she was in a (more or less) _normal_ situation, with (more or less) _normal_ friends, behaving in a (totally) _normal_ way.

* * *

The giant was enjoying making snide remarks at Morten, who kept himself from attacking Yuuma for his impudence, occasionally giving vent to his sharp tongue when it was appropriate, with almost drastic consequences if it hadn't been for the Theo's interventions, as he broke out in a sweat cold while assisting at their exchange of poisonous jokes, imagining in their place a _T-Rex_ and a _Velociraptor_ , set in a comic.

At one point he had had enough and, attracted the attention of the vampire, had asked him if he had known anything new about the possible kinship with Mary's father; the other, after a few seconds of silence, had shaken his head, negative, and then widened his eyes pleasantly surprised to know from the wizard that Mr Flyer was also passionate about gardening, hearing about the plantations of aromatic herbs, vegetables and trees fruit he took care of in the garden of his own home, in the other part of the island.

He added that Mr Flyer was much taller than Yuuma, but neither he nor the other vampires would have truly realized his height until the eventual meeting.

That night Yuuma dreamt of vast fields of orchards and orchards, and some nightmares about the possible blood tie shook him, but not too much.

* * *

Kou and Azusa had some difficulty falling asleep, therefore, the second laying down next to the other resting on his stomach, had begun to talk about the new people they had met, exchanging opinions with each other, and in the meantime recalling a little gloomily the old days at the orphanage, as they were sharing a room again.

Ruki had been sitting on the bed with his back to the wall since even before, reading some books he had borrowed from the bookshelves, including an old notebook that Theo had told him being one of the those which Mary had used for her studies of plants, animals, machines or other.

Leafing through the latter, he realized how much passion and dedication the half-witch had dedicated to those self-educational activities, at the same time cracking a smile at seeing the sides or corners of the pages full of scribbles and random writings, out of the fervid imagination the young girl had had (and would always have?); he almost let out an amused laugh at reading a very brief comic she had drawn at the notebook's bottom, illustrating one of her adventure at the sea.

This didn't distract him and prevent him from reproaching his brothers who had been about to exit, headed towards the Flyer twins' bedroom to snoop.

* * *

Subaru was swearing on all the gods he didn't believe in: sooner or later he would have strangled that vampire who was constantly harassing him, hinting with mischievous comments at the attentions which little Isa had addressed towards the albino; Laito kept on repeating, sure of it, that the witch was interested in his little brother, whose shoulders were wrapped by his arm, saying it was time to do some "serious" chat about _certain stuff_...

Shuu was snorting uninterruptedly, unbearably annoyed by all that noise; only the thought of Mary could distract him and, after half an hour since the two had begun to fight, he teleported.

* * *

Mary was sitting in front of the shelves full of books and looking at the photo albums, commenting them with her brother, next to her and with his head resting on her shoulder, both wrapped in a large blanket; her sister would describe the photo and her brother would tell about that day, chuckling melancholy or sighing relieved.

 _Hey, I don't remember this picture..._

 _Which one?_

 _I think it was taken secretly, it portrays me at school during gym class..._

 _Ah, yes... it was Theo, he took it because that day you had been able to handstand._

 _Ah, it's true! Hey, there's the one when I was assigned as a senpai to the girls. Anna has an hilarious face._

 _When she pouts, yes. Isn't there the one where you're having a fight with someone?_

 _That someone is Mo-senpa; yes, it's here. Pfff, his black eye._

The twins, tired of looking at the pictures, then lay down on the bed, facing each other, for a last chat.

 _Aneki... I wanted to tell you earlier, about Ryan._

 _Don 'worry. That's not what worries me now..._

 _Her?_

 _Hm... yeah. If she's around again, we are in trouble. She was one of the best, after all._

 _... that punch you gave Ryan while he was trying to reassure you, though._

 _He deserves it, he could have avoided the joke about "entertaining the maidens again"._

 _His shocked reaction was epic._

 _Ehehehe._

The brother wrapped his arms around his sister who had begun to sob.

* * *

\- Oh, Shuu-san - Mark murmured as he perceived the presence of the vampire in front of him - _Aneki_ went out... she's at our shelter.

\- Shelter? - Shuu repeated, sulking since he didn't find her in her bed as he had hoped.

\- Hm. It's located in the forest, along the river, in the area where it gets underground.

The vampire nodded and, whispering a thank you, he disappeared again.

The half wizard was silent for a few seconds, getting comfortable in his hammock.

\- I think _Aneki_ will bond with another man tonight... uh, it's too early - he moaned in a weak voice, curling his lips and puffing up his cheeks.

* * *

\- I swear I didn't want to upset your life...

\- Ryan-senpai, stop it. It's not your fault - Mary sighed, looking out at the clear, starlit sky whose light painted the trees and the stream's ripples with silver.

\- You've changed though - the other whimsically complained, resting his chin on the hand in a melodramatic gesture - You're no longer my sweet and shy _kohai_... you seem even less curious...

\- More cautious, you mean - she chuckled, scratching her head, embarrassed; Ryan smiled back, going on with his complaints and earning some dirty looks and fake kicks.

\- You've more mature - he finally said, then narrowing his eyes and staring at her - Maybe something is still missing.

Mary returned that look, breaking in a cold sweat.

\- Mary-chan... every day is a good opportunity to deal with your own demons, to try and find a solution to what is bothering us. Since I was "resurrected", I can tell you that it isn't nice to die with lots of regrets. Do what you have to do. Give it a try; results are important, of course, but if you don't start now to react, when will you do it?

The girl had lowered her head to the water pouring into the ground through a crack beneath the rock where they were sitting on, reflecting on what he had just told her: she believed she had turned her back on her insecurities, yet Ryan had found something that was still tormenting her; what was missing, though?

\- I must go... maybe he'll help you find an answer - the zombie young man smiled, winking at her, and he disappeared into the shadows.

Mary turned around and saw Shuu in front of her, frowning out of jealousy and staring at her, eyes full of lust; the girl her heart beating faster at that intense feeling coming from the vampire and stood up, reaching him with a hearty smile.

The blonde grabbed her wrists with his hands and bowed his head, placing his forehead against hers and closing his eyes.

\- _You're mine, you can't leave me_ \- he said, a little coldly; she giggled, rubbing her nose against his.

\- Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere... _and I want to be with you_ \- she murmured, closing her eyes.

Shuu loosened the grip and raised his hands to her face, kissing her lips gently at first, then pressing hard and surrounding her waist with his arms; though embarrassed and restless, Mary felt safe and at ease.

In the arms of her beloved, and at her home.

She belonged there.

* * *

\- Sh-Shuu ...! N-Not here! And then I told you that before ...!

\- Your brother told me that you have a tree house around here... _and I can't wait any longer_. Or maybe... do you want to proceed with that ritual you were talking about... that way you'd be ookay with it, right...? _Hehehe_ , _look at you_ , _blushing so much_.

\- Sh-Shuu...

\- Your parents know, right? And they're not against it. You told me on the train.

\- But you…

\- _I want you_. I have no doubts about this.

\- ... yeah. _Me too_.

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	30. Chapter 29

_Chapter 29_

The next morning, after plenty of hours of rest (even Reiji was surprised he had slept more than usual, wondering if it was that city's effect), the vampires were awakened by the sweet smell of pancakes and chocolate.

Leaving aside Subaru and Laito's perplexity when they saw no Shuu in the bed nor in any corner of the house, the ten vampires could have sworn they were feeling at peace: like they never had any problems in the past.

Leaving their respective rooms, they had sat at the tables around the kitchen, where there was already a fresh and cheerful Yui- Ayato had had to hide the redness on his cheeks – who had pleasantly chatted with Morten until then, busy at preparing breakfast; there were a huge teapot with berries flavoured black tea and a ceramic pitcher full of hot chocolate waiting for them to be consumed.

\- I'm in heaven - Kanato said, nearly drooling in front of Reiji and Ruki's disgusted faces.

The wizard greeted them with a gentle nod of the head and invited them to sit down.

\- Please, help yourself, there is enough for everyone. The girls went to school – he replied immediately before Azusa or Laito could ask - Theo is at work, Mark is who knows where as usual and...

Morten glanced at everyone.

\- Do you know where's Cho-hime? _Wait_. Where's the other blond? - he asked, counting the present vampires and confirming that one was missing.

Silence.

* * *

Ignoring the triplets' immature and indecent comments, the vampires had gone out into the city with Morten, who pointed at the site including shops, schools, and dwellings, explaining how the narrow streets above the entire city had been designed: he revealed that they were held up through a complex network of resistant material attached to the huge and cylindrical white structures that they had seen on the edge of the island (but no one remembered: too tired for the trip, and too proud to admit it) .

The wizard told them about the several woods and the thick forest siding the road that led straight to the city on the island's other side; he also revealed the important presence of a river that crossed the entire territory, branching into much smaller streams.

As they were moving towards the city's outskirts, where the schools, control buildings and training centres – to practice with their own powers- were located, Morten had to keep his nerves steady: some individuals of the group, initially quiet, had got a little tired, and as a result they had begun to annoy the others; Laito, then imitated by Kou, was teasing Subaru about a certain amber-eyed witch, Azusa was irking Kanato in order to get hurt (he had calculated that he was the only one who could have given in and violently vent on him ), Reiji and Ruki were throwing snipes at each other about how teach their brothers how to behave properly, after the chaos during breakfast.

And then there was Yuuma, with the sprite Freckle who knows how was found next to him on the pillow in the morning, and Ayato with Yui, both of them quiet, the first especially since they were all busy and thus they wouldn't be interested in his girl.

As they went past the schools, Morten heard the bell ringing the break and thanked the Creator, thinking that they could have been distracted by the girls if they would have appeared in the hallway whose inside could be seen through the windows in front of them; and so happened, the first leaning out being Claire, greeting the vampires enthusiastically and in particular turning a sweet but mischievous smile to Laito who blew her a kiss, his usual smirk on his face.

Anna had to wrap her arms around Finn's shoulders to prevent her from leaping over the window to reach Azusa, with whom she was exchanging longing looks; Kou noticed Isa's absence and, knowing her interest towards Subaru, asked where she was, impatient to find the right opportunity to embarrass the albino.

\- Isa is a year younger than us, so she's in another class. But if you wait a few minutes, she should come here too – Anna said, complaining to her friend to stand still and not to squeeze her hands, reminding her that her too strong grips could break someone's bones (they had had to pay several broken door handles to the school because of her strenght).

Finn pouted and hid part of her face in the high collar of her vest, still staring at her vampire, who was nibbling a finger, also unhappy because of the permission Ruki had denied him to reach her inside the school.

\- Shall we all go and eat at Miko's restaurant, for lunch? He always prepares such delicious meals... and I'm sure, Laito-kun, you'll like his _macaroons_ ~ - Claire giggled.

Morten turned to Reiji and Ruki, waiting for an answer to that suggestion and, before they could agree (the first with less enthusiasm, vampires need only blood!), their brothers had preceded them, accepting with an euphoric "yes" - excluding Subaru who snorted annoyed, not very thrilled by that.

Yui noticed Isa greeting her from some windows nearby on the left and she leaned out among the other three witches, smiling happily; Laito and Kou glanced at Subaru, grinning, and the albino felt his nerves throbbing painfully on his forehead and neck.

\- So it's decided, we'll see each other there at eleven o'clock - Morten sighed - If you see Mark, tell him, he's probably in the music room preparing the instruments for his afternoon lesson... and also warn Baka-Ouji by text. Oh, have you seen Cho-hime?

Isa and Claire blinked and exchanged confused looks, and then turned to the wizard who narrowed his eyes, annoyed by Anna's exaggerated reaction, having mumbled something and raised her eyes to the sky, while Finn had simply tilted her head.

\- How can we know, we went out this morning thinking that everyone was sleeping! - Anna snapped, annoyed by his expression, and Morten gritted his teeth.

\- But _Cho-hime wasn't in her room_!

\- _I'm not her baby-sitter_ and I don't care where she goes! – Anna replied; Claire raised an eyebrow and blew a raspberry at her, ignoring her glare, then shrugged, turning to him.

\- You know, having returned home... Maybe she's gone somewhere to be alone, maybe the old school... - Isa shyly suggested, with sympathetic eyes; Finn nodded and Claire went silent as she realized Shuu's absence, smiling like an idiot.

The three witches chatted a few minutes with the vampires, answering mostly to Ruki and Reiji's questions, curious if their lessons focused on the usual school subjects or if they would study other stuff; Anna, after a few minutes, was about to add information to what Isa was telling about the exercise of her powers, separately carried out with appropriate teachers, when her eyes widened as soon as she opened her mouth, staring at a person behind the vampires who was approaching them.

\- Te-Teacher...! - the blonde exclaimed, her eyes shining with joy, though not concealing a certain fear, or respect, towards the person who reaching them.

Yuuma raised an eyebrow at her expression, thinking it was hilarious, and turned around, not realizing some of them were gaping and some went just stiff and wide-eyed: the giant himself almost let his jaw fall to the ground at seeing the broad-chested and tall, _very tall_ , man in front of them.

He was wearing dark clothes under a large dark brown jacket, whose pockets were occupied by his hands; the dark brown hair was tied in a short and untidy ponytail, leaving some locks framing his manly and rigid face, just covered by a little beard; he had a slightly tanned complexion.

His brown eyes, with a spot of green, stared impassive at vampires, focusing in particular on Yuuma who, recovering from the initial surprise, noticed the shape of his eyes, similar to his; he, Ruki, Azusa and Kou understood that he was Mary's father, Mr Flyer.

\- How tall is he, what the heck - Kou said in a choked voice, his head raised to the man who was towering over them all, including Yuuma himself.

\- He's probably more than two meters tall - Laito murmured with a twitching eye, thinking that his Micchan had probably taken more from her mother than her father in height (and probably more of the physical aspect, excluding face, eyes and hair ).

Morten cleared his throat and politely greeted the man, who continued to scan them silently with his dark eyes, and introduced him.

\- This is Mr Flyer, Cho-hime's father. He is known as one of the few wizards who can manipulate fire, and is the reference teacher for learning sword art. Anna is his student - he scratched his neck, keeping his head bowed; if Yuuma's height was already bothering him, it was possible to imagine how much that man's height was tormenting him (and Kanato was feeling the same as him).

Reiji and Ruki examined the man carefully, a little fascinated and at the same time confused by his slightly weak figure, as if he had seen _everything_ and if he had been tired of it; Kou and Laito had their eyes still wide opened; Ayato and Subaru were still gaping and almost doubted that as vampires they could have succeeded in a fight against him; Azusa smiled: after all, he was _Izanami_ 's father, he couldn't help but like him!

\- Mh - Mr Flyer nodded, likely to greet them (perhaps Mark had inherited his taciturn character from his father?), and focused on each of them; he seemed to smile at Yui, and at last he stopped his eyes on Yuuma, observing him carefully.

The vampire had never felt this way in all his life, not even with Karlheinz: the feeling was a mixture of fear and respect, and perhaps he could understand how Anna felt about her teacher, who had given informed her that they would go on training in the afternoon.

\- You're Yuuma, I suppose – the man said in a deep, calm, possibly a little tired voice; Reiji thought he could have compared it to that of an older and _presumably_ more responsible Shuu (pretty unlikely). Yuuma swallowed before nodding and Mr Flyer sighed.

\- At the moment I'm busy, but soon we'll talk together – he put a hand on his own shoulder, rubbing it while his expression appeared absorbed - My wife has told you that you could be a relative of mine, hasn't she?

Yuuma nodded again and, after a few seconds, the man took his leave, moving to the right, towards the school building's entrance, as Anna was holding back an euphoric little cry, stared at by an annoyed Claire, a confused Isa and ignored by a silent Finn.

Morten mumbled that he had forgotten to ask him if he knew where his daughter was, but he shrugged and decided to continue the tour in that area, not before he had reminded the witches of the appointment at the restaurant.

While heading to what he had called a control site, Yuuma distractedly followed the guide's words, overwhelmed by several questions; if Mr Flyer was a wizard and his relative, then was his family also endowed with magical powers? _Was he_ _himself_?

\- I had worked at the restaurant for a month: it was such a stressful job that even Cho-hime had given up after a week... - Morten informed in the meantime, muttering, his expression changing into a contemptuous grimace at remembering that period.

\- You start working when you're fifteen years old, right? - Reiji asked, chin in his fingers.

\- It's all about part-time jobs to earn some money and learn something, not just the job itself; the aim is getting an idea for the future. For example, Cho-hime, after different work experiences, chose to join the external security and to work as a mailwoman – Morten explained, warning them that they were going back to have lunch and that in the afternoon he would have taken them to see some practice exercises.

\- And you, Morten-kun? And Theo-kun, and Mark-kun~? - Laito asked curiously.

\- Baka-Ouji fixes and builds machinery or any device; Mark wanted to work as an internal security officer, but in the end he chose to teach music to the younger ones; I work as a hacker... ah, Mary did that too, but then her headaches worsened and Elena-sensei told her to stop.

Ruki thought those headaches were probably not due to the time spent in front of the screens, but to the process to become _Izanami_.

 _Seriously, where's that girl?!_ , he thought, before reproaching Kou who had stopped in front of a small group of girls who had recognized him and were asking for his autograph.

* * *

Shuu, before Mary could wake up, was almost tempted to throw her cell phone directly out the window, aiming for the river; fortunately, he had just hidden it under a pile of pillows (which made up almost the seventy per cent of that tree house interior), muffling the ringing of an incoming call from Theo.

He had returned next to the witch, still wrapped in the blankets, breathing a sigh of relief that she hadn't been awakened by that absurd noise; what kind of "music" was that, anyway? One day he would have changed her playlists with his own favourite pieces, he would have converted her to classical music.

He stroked the half-witch's forehead, picking up all her hair and moving it to the side; he hugged her from behind and rested his forehead against her shoulder, closing his eyes and preparing to fall back into a deep sleep.

Or at least he tried to; he couldn't fall asleep again since he had woke up hours before. He couldn't explain the cause... or perhaps he didn't know it was the happiness he was feeling deep down. Or the relief that it wasn't a dream.

Mary was finally his: on his and her right ring fingers was a mark that looked like a sea green coloured ring tattooed on her skin, proof of the promise they had exchange with each other, which had been approved and blessed, before his eyes, astonished by that secret event that only they would remember, a miraculous and private ritual that only some communities of witches and wizards knew and practiced.

The vampire hugged the girl who grumbled, waking up because of that intense grip; Mary took a few minutes to regain her lucidity and blushed slightly, turning in his arms and looking at him timidly.

With eyes shining with joy.

\- Good morning, Shuu – she smiled softly, squeezing his right hand with her own.

The blond stared at her at first impassive, then cracked a serene smile, and brought his face to hers, kissing her.

\- Hey, _wren_...

Mary felt her cheeks heat up and hid her face against his chest, making him laugh; the young man kept on teasing her, tickling her and occasionally talking briefly about random thoughts suggested by their minds.

\- What time is it? - the girl asked at last, while stroking his fingers.

\- I think it's noon... - Shuu yawned with his eyes closed, still basking among the blankets and pretending nothing as she murmured that it was strange that no one had even looked for them, not even to plan lunch together.

Then, seized by a bizarre feeling, she raised her head to the place on the table where she thought she had left her cell phone: not there, she confirmed her hypothesis and, sitting down, gave an accusatory look to the blond, demanding explanations .

Shuu opened one eye, stared at her and raised an eyebrow, questioningly.

\- _Don't feign innocence_ , where's my mobile?

The vampire snorted annoyed and pulled her down in his arms, muttering that she didn't need it and that she should have stayed there with him.

After a short fight, between her pulling his cheeks and him trying to stop her by laying on top of her, Mary managed to escape and crawl towards the pile of pillows that had surely been moved, not remembering it looking that way the night before: rummaging, she got her cell phone back and paled at the several missed calls and unread messages.

Shuu ignored her glare, keeping on complaining like a whimsical child that he didn't want to leave that shelter, that they were just fine staying there, that it wasn't necessary to join the others and continued to mumble complaints even when the girl picked him up with difficulty in order to leave the little tree house, heading for the city.

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	31. Chapter 30

_Chapter 30_

Morten breathed a sigh of relief once they were all seated at the table, waiting for the ordered meals to arrive (and wasn't afraid of delay and related complaints, knowing Miko's employees' punctuality): the vampires, divided into small groups, had been immediately distracted by the four witches who had joined them as soon as possible; Reiji and some of them were also curious to meet those two vampires they had heard so much about and who were supposed to arrive soon with Theo.

Yuuma, Kou and Ruki had jumped at noticing Mark at their table, popped from nowhere, while Azusa had greeted him with a smile, interrupting for a second his slow and quiet conversation with Finn, who was holding his hand in her own ones as usual.

Reiji, Kanato and Morten had sat at a table with three seats available for Theo and the vampire sisters; promptly, the blond wizard had asked a waiter to give the purple-eyed vampire a plate of pastries, already aware of its hysterical personality and that sweets could have kept him calm.

Ayato, Yui, Subaru, Isa, Claire and Laito had sat at another table, all of them at ease, except for the albino who would have had to bear with the jealous and possessive attitude of said first vampire and the sickly effusions between the other one and the half-demon; however, Isa, perceiving his discomfort (which wasn't so invisible because of the nerve pulsing on his forehead), had proceeded to entertain him by talking, trying to focus on topics that could have interested him a little (for example, about Finn's superhuman strength despite her small physical constitution).

Anna had taken a seat at another table, alone, and when Yuuma had asked Mark why she was being a loner, he had explained she was waiting for her four sisters to join her for lunch (they were used to dine there all together, and their wallets didn't suffer as much because the restaurant owner was a relative of theirs); the witch, eavesdropping the giant's question, had shouted at him that she wasn't a loner, and thus they had begun to quarrel, until a sword's hilt fell on the girl's head.

\- ARGH! _Ellen_! - the girl cried, rubbing her sore neck and glaring at the young woman who had hit her, staring at her sternly, as the vampires watched them.

\- For you it's "Onee-sama", or rather "Onee-san", since "Onee-sama" is for the eldest - she replied, sitting next to her; a little further back, three other female figures were approaching and the vampires, focusing on their appearance, could see how much they had in common with Anna: blond hair and stone-like gray eyes, slender physiques and elegant and proud bearing; they all had very long and smooth hair, except for one that had very curly and fairly short hair.

The sister named Ellen greeted the vampires with a polite smile, and then gave a very sweet smile at Mark who intensely blushed at feeling it, and the Mukami brothers grinned at his reaction; her hair was tied in a ponytail, without any locks falling on her face, marked on the cheek by a large scar; she was wearing the blue-banded uniform.

In the meantime, the other three sisters had reached them: the first, presumably the eldest since the other two were much shorter and with childlike visages, had blond braided hair tied up high on her head, and had sat down after he greeting the vampires with a little polite bow; the youngest, with hair tied in a low tail, introduced herself as Michaela, adding to be twelve years old (later Claire would have specified that Angela was twenty-five, Ellen twenty-one and the fourth-born fifteen), with a more sincerely kind and warm approach; the last one, Lucy, shyly sat down whispering a greeting, then widened her eyes and suddenly turned her head towards Kou.

\- Ah! – she exclaimed, shocked - _Mukami Kou-sama_...! – she whispered with a choked voice, as her eyes sparkled with several little hearts.

Anna glared at her little sister, remembering that she had a soft spot for the idol, her absolute favourite singer, and also glared at the very vampire as she heard him giggle and greet her cheerfully.

Before she could verbally fight him (it wasn't a surprise that Anna was known as "Wrath" among her sisters), Claire had jumped up, beating her hands once in a gesture of pleasant surprise.

\- _Look at who's here_ ~ Hehehe, what do my eyes see on that finger~!?

All of them turned to who the half-demon was gazing at: Mary and Shuu were approaching them, him with an arm on her shoulders and her with her face shyly bowed, the fingers of their right hands intertwined with each other; the ring-shaped mark on his ring finger was evident as soon as they were close enough and Isa and Anna's younger sisters jumped excitedly, as the older ones smiled and Finn's eyes gleamed on her impassive face, deducing that there was the same mark on the half-witch's right ring finger, covered by the glove.

Anna was staring at them and then she turned away, with an indecipherable expression; Claire, giggling at the vampires' confused expressions (they didn't know what the ring-shaped mark meant; they had understood the situation from the perceived _scent_ coming from the couple, though) and exchanging a glance with Mary who had blushed violently, she explained:

\- They're officially husband and wife, according to a ritual of ours, _hehehe_ ~.

Silence fell to be interrupted by their exclamations of surprise or of a little disappointed joy, and there were those who were simply upset by the news and those who were at first shocked and then happy; and then there were those who, unnoticed and taciturn, had got up from the table and had left, using the usual excuse to use the toilet...

... and only Azusa, who was smiling happily at his _Izanami_ , overwhelmed by her friends who were enthusiastic about the news, only him had noticed and thoughtfully watched Ruki leave.

\- Where's Theo-kun? - Laito asked, considering that said wizard and the vampire sisters were still missing; at the same time, a shout made the restaurant shake and some waiters were quick to keep the crockery still, sighing in annoyance.

\- GUYS, SORRY FOR BEING LATE~! - Theo emerged from the front door, alternating his steps with a few hops, followed by two young women who were more or less as tall as Kanato; both had ruby-coloured eyes (which Reiji found particularly familiar) and dark-green hair, cut into a different hairstyle, and the indistinguishable pure vampire's scent reached the vampires' nostrils. They had freckles scattered all over their pretty faces.

The one with shorter and thicker hair, with a very short fringe framing her forehead, waved her hand and introduced herself with a cheerful tone:

\- Nice to meet you~ I'm Martha. It's an honor to meet the sons of Karlheinz-sama! – she smiled, then turned to Mary and shook her hand - And I'm glad to finally meet you, Mary-chan! Theo-kun has always told me so much about his childhood friends.

The girl returned the smile, carefully observing the gleam in her eyes and the bizarre and unusual freckles: despite being the first time meeting her, the vampire female had made a good impression on her, mentally "approving" her as her best friend's girlfriend.

The other sister, who had her hair tied up on her head with a wooden clasp with bronze engravings, made a respectful bow to the Sakamaki brothers, then fixed the crescent-shaped glasses that had slid down her nose because of that gesture, and nodded to greet the Mukamis.

\- I'm Lily; you can contact me or my sister if you were to need blood supplies; you can find us at the hospital or on the east bank of the island - she added, serious and precise, and then approached Mary to make her acquaintance.

The Sakamaki brothers, on the other hand, were looking at them suspiciously: their hair and especially their eyes had begun to look very familiar, and even their smell was reminding them of someone they knew; Reiji was the only one, along with Shuu who wasn't paying much attention to it, that had mentally realized _who they could be_ , but decided to postpone confirmation questions out of politeness.

* * *

Lunch drew the attention of some curious and not bystanders, especially since Morten and Yuuma had started to bicker with each other, the first offended by the vampire's comments about his height, after bumping into his head with his elbow while he was wriggling out of Kou's pleading grip (to whom the portion of breaded and fried chicken nuggets hadn't been enough).

Thus Mark had got up and had joined them in an attempt to calm them down, a little timidly (and perhaps also to attract the gaze of one of Anna's sisters in particular...), sparing Ruki's task as he was concentrated, with sore ears, on his mushrooms soup, sporadically glancing at Azusa who had been staring at him from time to time since his return, alternating a mouthful of food with some exchange of words with Finn, suddenly more talkative than usual (some teachers had even thought she was mute...).

Kanato, fortunately, didn't look too annoyed by the racket, thanks to the tray of pastries and cupcakes he had ordered; on the contrary, Reiji was looking gloomily at the two disputants and, after hearing Lily sigh and whisper that it wasn't polite to behave in that way while dining, he began a pleasant conversation about etiquette with her, and then lingered on other topics, including disapproving comments about Theo and Martha who were chatting and moving the food in their plates with the cutlery.

Isa had miraculously managed to make Subaru listen to her, despite him pretending disinterests in her various stories about her friends, although he had risked several times to burst out laughing or to take on a shocked expression; Ayato and Yui were eating, him commenting that that _takoyaki_ was the most delicious he had ever eaten and recommending she should have learnt from the cook, so that she would have made them for him again, and her nodding with an amused smile; Laito and Claire had placated their mutual needs for each other to discuss something unusually serious for them.

Anna's sisters' table was the most silent: every now and then Ellen and Angela were exchanging information and news about their work (for example, sightings or anomalies on the island), Michaela was sending messages on her mobile without getting caught by the eldest, Lucy was glancing full of admiration and emotions at Kou, who made her blush with a smirk whenever he noticed her; Anna was silent, glaring at Lucy and the idol, as well as observing her _senpai_ who was sitting alone with the first-born of the Sakamaki family, at one of the tables close the walls.

In the meanwhile, Mary was struggling at preventing Shuu's panic attack: unfortunately, the blond had casually raised his eyes upwards and, as soon as he saw the large chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, with real lit candles, he had paled considerably, stiffening and widening his eyes; the half-witch had taken his face in her hands, turning it to her, and began to whisper sweet words to calm him down, stroking his cheeks and hair, shaking his hands and urging him to focus on the tasty steak in his plate.

Towards the end of the eventful, yet pleasant, meal, as they were finishing their own desserts, Anna's older sisters were the first to leave because of their jobs; after them, even Morten, Theo and Mary (much to Shuu's displeasure, who clung to her shirt) stood up and exchanged a knowing look.

\- I thought it'd be better to let you choose what to do this afternoon, and the girls will guide you - the blond wizard said, wearing his leather jacket which had rested on the back of his chair during lunch - I have work to do at home, Theo has to fix something at the hospital and Mary...

She sighed, after succeeding at shaking off the blond, who pouted.

\- They have already loaded my bag with letters and packages to deliver... _by six o'clock_ – she gritted her teeth, rubbing her bridge nose exasperated (and Kou was staring at her thoughtfully, his right eye red), and then smile to those present - I'll see you at dinner tonight, guys.

He patted Shuu before turning, and with the two wizards she headed towards the exit, obviously not before paying the bill for everyone (somehow they had managed to get pile up enough money together).

\- Momo-kun, don't you have anything to do? - Yuuma muttered, as he crunched the last of the twenty sugar cubes he had ordered; Mark murmured curling his lips not to call him that way and replied that he had a music lesson, and Kou exclaimed he wanted to go with him to see how it was.

\- Okay – Mary's twin cracked a smile and then called his _brother-in-law_ (it sounded so strange...!) - Shuu-kun, I think you wouldn't mind joining us...

The blond looked hesitant for a moment, pausing to look at Kou, who was staring at him with a smile that wasn't recommendable at all; at last he sighed and accepted: after all it was the best solution, otherwise he would have had to bear with all the others regardless of what they were going to do.

One of Anna's younger sisters, Lucy, stood up shyly.

\- E-Er... may I join, too...? – she stuttered, her face red and her eyes focused on Kou as if the permission depended only on him; the vampire blinked a little surprised and, before the witch with the long blond braid could reproach her little sister, he nodded.

\- Of course~ The more, the merrier! Right, Usagi-chan~? - he exclaimed in a playful tone, as Anna stood up to grab Lucy, fainted from that _blinding vision_ , too intense to sustain.

\- DON'T GIVE THESE DISGUSTING NICKNAMES TO LUCY, _YOU PARASITE_!

\- Eeeeh, but only Subaru-kun can call me that way... - Kou muttered, crossing his arms behind his head.

\- Anytime - the albino growled with a throbbing vein on his forehead and cracking his fingers, then felt them being squeezed by Isa's hands who begged him to stay calm, looking at him with puppy eyes and making him blush a lot.

\- _Onee-chan_ ~, I'll go home, I have to study for a history test! - Michaela, the youngest, said while standing up and nodding her head to say hello, then left.

In the meanwhile, Lily and Reiji had agreed to go to the hospital with Martha, since the male was looking for answers to his premonition about them; Ruki also joined in, curious to know how it was possible that there were stocks of blood exclusively for them, but especially because he knew he wouldn't have tolerated the others, likely to be very noisy.

Anna, having succeeded in reviving her little sister, had got up and had gestured at Finn that it was time to go to the training camp, impatient to practice with Mr Flyer; yet the tiny witch kept on staring at her impassively, clutching Azusa's arm, who smiled shyly and enjoyed that crushing grasp.

\- _Seriously_ , _Finn_. _Let's go_ \- her friend called her back, irritated; however, the other seemed only to lean more on the lavender-eyed vampire who, wisely, proposed:

\- I'll come... with you... okay ...?

Finn had got up and dragged the vampire with her, passing Anna; the latter gasped in disbelief, and then facepalmed, grunting something rude and growling at seeing Yuuma, Subaru and Isa follow the couple.

\- Do I have to babysit all of you?! - she shouted, leaving away.

\- _Heee_ , Anna always complains so much... but in the end she takes care of everyone~ - Claire said with her face in her hands; Laito lowered one to lick some cream off her cheek, making her giggle.

\- _Nfu_ ~ She reminds me of someone I know - the vampire teased, glancing at Reiji who raised an eyebrow, then sighed and asked what they were going to do in the afternoon.

\- I think I'll take Laito-kun, Ayato-kun, Kanato-kun and Yui-chi for a tour in the city~ There are several interesting places and I'm sure they'll appreciate them, _hehehe_ ~ - the half demon smiled, assuring the Sakamaki second-born that she would have taken care of them in the best way.

Reiji wasn't very convinced, but nodded and took his leave with the vampire sisters and Ruki; in the meanwhile, even Mark's small group had already headed towards school.

\- _Good_ , _good_ ~ Let's go? - Claire stood up, curling her hair with a rather flirtatious gesture (some guys who were still having lunch whistled at her, earning an unexpected cold look from Laito), and took arm in arm Yui, ignoring Ayato's protests, and invited the triplets to follow her to their long adventure among the city several shops.

And maybe she would have dropped them somewhere, leaving them to suddenly make do, so that she could improvise a private date with Laito, just the two of them alone...

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	32. Chapter 31

_Chapter 31_

Yuuma and Subaru were watching the students with great admiration, occasionally grinning and making some mocking remarks about someone a little clumsy; surely, despite being vampires, they would have thought twice before challenging Ms Lalla, aunt of Finn and Morten, and her same niece, one of the three people who had been accepted in the most advanced course of those trainings. As proof, it was enough to see those stone columns being almost pulverized by a single fist of the little witch, whose skin was covered by luminescent blue lines while attacking.

She was busy in a hand-to-hand battle with one of her two comrades, a fight that had proved to be a bit monotonous after half an hour (didn't they get tired...?), thus the two vampires had left to roam around the fields, observing the other students, followed by Isa; whereas Azusa, resisting the temptation to get in the middle of any lesson to be crumbled by punches and kicks, had remained to witness the fight between Finn and the other boy, a bit envious of the latter, staring at her as if she had been his queen.

After another half an hour the two opponents had finally stopped and, after respectfully saluting each other, had left the ring, leaving the third comrade, the strongest, to instruct a couple of potential candidates to be welcomed in their course; breathless, the witch had reached the smiling vampire and had nodded to follow her up to the bench, where she sat, wiping the sweat off her neck and face; Azusa gazed at her, fascinated.

\- Finn-san... you're wonderful... one day... may I be your opponent...? - he asked, already imagining the pain caused by her; the little witch, at first silent and with her eyes on her shoes' tips, took a sip of water from a little bottle, before looking at him expressionless.

Azusa, however, glimpsed fear in her eyes.

\- Azusa-kun. Are you sure it's okay?

The young man tilted his head, a little confused by her words; the girl turned her face back to her shoes, making their tips touch each other.

\- I... since I was born... I've always had this strength. It is hereditary. Just, as in the past my great-grandmother was much less strong, I'm _too much_ strong.

Azusa took her hands in his own, preventing her from keeping on torturing her fingers so that she could _vent_ her emotions on _his_ , which she began to _crush_ , a little hesitant.

\- I couldn't hug anyone in school because I would have risked breaking some bones. They were all afraid of me. _I was afraid of hurting them_.

The vampire nodded, confirming that he was listening to her, and urged her to continue, happy that she was struggling to confide in him even though she was taciturn.

\- Then... I met Claire, who told me _she_ would have hugged me... and then Anna, who would have caressed my head... and then...! - her eyes lit up, so excited that she didn't notice the suspicious crack coming from Azusa's fingers, as he enjoyed that bliss - _Senpai_...! She let me hug her as gently as possible, patiently...! _But she had to wear an orthopaedic corset for a few weeks_ , _afterwards_.

Finn was impassive again and stared at the vampire, who smiled, adding that Mary had urged her to practice and moderate her strength; pleased, Azusa thought that she didn't have full control yet, judging by the pain in his hands, but that was fine with him.

\- Pain... I love it... especially... if it's caused... by a person I adore...! – he explained to the little witch who gave a small smile and dived into his arms, joyful; the other was joyful as well, perceiving some fractures _adorning_ his ribs.

* * *

Yuuma was completely focused on observing Mr Flyer, who was teaching one of his youngest pupils how to use a sword without being hindered by its weight; the giant stifled a laugh as he heard him mumbling that the boy should have contributed with constant exercise to build more muscles and stamina, noting that he was a little thin.

The vampire avoided a katana's sheath from hitting his head and glared at Anna, who had approached and leaned back against the wooden fence, glaring back at him.

\- There's no reason to laugh. If someone seriously wants to pursue such trainings, work hard is necessary - she stated sternly, while watching her teacher with adoring eyes.

Yuuma raised an eyebrow and muttered:

\- Are you in love with that old-... - he dodged another attack with the katana's hilt, yelling at her to calm down.

\- Don't you dare suppose such conjectures, you vulgar oaf! - she replied indignantly, her face red out of annoyance – _My teacher is my role model_!

\- Okay, okay - he said, holding back a laugh because of the way of talking about the witch – Role model, you say... – he repeated, recalling the figure of that boy who had been the boss of the small band which had welcomed him in the past.

Anna examined him silently, considering that the vampire was probably thinking seriously about it; maybe he also had had a similar figure in his life.

\- What kind of person is he? - Yuuma suddenly asked; the blonde, a bit taken aback, took a few minutes before answering.

\- Teacher is... he always looks like tired, or indifferent to everything. He simply doesn't express his feelings in gestures and expressions. It's from his words that you can understand what he's feeling at the moment. He's the most sincere person I've ever known, probably. And if you ask other people, they'll tell you the same thing.

The giant blinked, thinking that Kou would have personally tried to verify if Mr Flyer was really so truthful; he kept on listening to her.

\- He's not just a talented wizard and swordsman - the witch let out a sigh of admiration, making Yuuma roll his eyes - he also worries about morally encouraging his students. I... – she swallowed, a little hesitant, but the silence and his gaze urged her to continue - Among my sisters, I am the less gifted in terms of magical powers. Teacher taught me to value what I own, what I am, even if it doesn't seem enough to me.

The witch was smiling unconsciously; the vampire couldn't help but crack a smile, too.

\- At last, he has... very _strange_ hobbies, if you judge him only by appearances.

\- Are you talkin' about gardenin'? - the giant murmured, recalling Theo's words; she nodded - I also love gardening. Does it run in the family, if it is true that we are relatives?

Anna stared at him carefully, dwelling on his facial features; Yuuma would have never admitted to anyone that he had felt like blushing at those grey eyes, cold but intense.

\- You both have the same eyes; if you're not a close relative, you'll have a common ancestor - she replied.

\- Hm - Yuuma nodded; the silence fell for a few seconds, interrupted by a student complaining about having dropped the heavy sheath on the foot and their consequent giggles - You know, you're a bit nicer, now.

\- A bit? - the blonde arched an eyebrow, sardonic - If you're trying to flirting with me, you're failing miserably.

Anna turned away, unaware of the raspberry secretly blown at her by the vampire; she was more focused on Isa's exalted voice, who had from the beginning accompanied Subaru everywhere, and according to the blonde she was clinging to him too much: in truth, she had no idea how much fun the albino was having, fascinated by that world so new and different from the environment in which he had grown up.

\- _Yuuma_.

The giant jumped and looked at the person in front of him, raising his head to meet his eyes, so similar to his own; he was usually used to lower it...

\- M-Mr Flyer... - he mumbled, cracking a nervous smile.

The man frowned.

\- Don't be so formal. My wife and I would like to invite you, with your brothers, to have dinner with us this evening; and if it's not a problem for you, you stay at our home for the night he said in a deep voice.

The vampire blinked, then nodded with his mouth slightly ajar.

* * *

Nothing in her life had ever been more exciting than sitting right next to her favourite idol and talking with him; not to mention that the blond had complimented Lucy for her cloud of hair: _golden candy floss_ , so he had named it...! On the other hand, Kou felt a little guilty about flattering the witch a little dishonestly: his red eye had discovered that the affection, admiration and devotion she felt towards him were sincere; he was particularly amazed at how intense they were and wondered if he shouldn't have been a little more serious than usual with the young woman.

Mark, in the meanwhile, was instructing a pair of children, probably eight years old, on how to hold a violin and its bow, carefully observed by Shuu who was sitting far from the students' curious eyes and the small group of girls' bewitched ones staring at him, giggling and blushing; the vampire snorted at their reactions and, staring at the ring tattooed on his right ring finger, pondered about breaking their hearts by showing it off.

Two slightly older boys had approached Mark, asking him to listen to a short piece played a the violin and a clarinet; the handsome blond listened attentively to the melody and to the half-wizard's comments, agreeing with him, as he pointed out the two students' mistakes and also their improvements in relation to the past lessons.

The two young men exchanged a knowing and smiling look, gave him a respectful and grateful bow, then got back to their chairs to focus on some other pieces to exercise with.

Shuu observed all the other similar moments that followed with a strange expression on his face and an equally strange feeling inside him, beyond the admiration felt for that dull-eyed and undoubtedly talented wizard, proved by his skills at playing a wide range of different musical instruments; something pushed him to think that he wouldn't have minded being in his brother-in-law's place, but at the same time he mocked himself, thinking that he wasn't one to move a single finger for similar activities, besides probably not having the same patience as Mark at managing that group of apprentices...

… but _maybe_ …

The vampire snorted annoyed at hearing another noisy chat between Kou and Lucy, glaring at them; the idol blew him a raspberry and justified that the lesson was already coming to an end: after about ten minutes, all the students had got up and left, after saying goodbye and exchanging some friendly words with Mark.

\- Mark-kun~, besides playing these instruments, can you also sing? – he asked, curious.

\- Mh... I do sing, but rarely... when I was younger I used to sing more frequently, along with _Aneki_ \- he quietly murmured, while putting the instruments back in their cases, after caressing their shapes and hearing their sounds to distinguish them.

\- Neko-chan sings, too?! - the vampire exclaimed, surprised, immediately interrupted by Shuu before he could add anything else.

\- If she was good as a child, now she isn't anymore: she's _very off-key_.

\- I confirm - Mark simply said, cracking a slight smile, as Kou giggled that perhaps they had been a bit too cold towards the poor girl. Lucy had approached them and asked if Mary would have come home safe and sound: after all, she had just returned home and had been already instructed to deliver so much letters, as she had complained about.

The half-wizard hesitated a little before answering, but was preceded by the idol, who was smiling ironically:

\- Yeah, _as if_ , she went to do her job as a postwoman...! – he commented ironically, staring intensely at the half-wizard in front of him who felt his head sting because of that look; the other vampire moved his eyes from one to the other, confused, and then widened his eyes at the following words - _Why did she lie~_? It's not like her~!

\- Actually, _Aneki_ \- Mark stood up, rubbing his shoulder - went to the hospital...

 _What?_ , Shuu thought, and within a moment he had teleported elsewhere.

* * *

After accidentally bumping into Claire's little group and scolding the triplets, Reiji had noticed how quickly his mood had healed as soon as they had retraced their steps, him, Ruki, Martha and Lily; especially with the latter he had resumed to discuss about chemistry and biology, dwelling on experiments and interesting things that had occurred: he was pleasantly impressed by that vampire's intelligence and her wide scientific knowledge, so that his esteem towards her had increased.

On the other hand, he wondered how the two could be sisters: the other freckled-faced vampire was trotting along the hospital hallways while greeting the staff with exaggerated euphoria and the few (young) patients with lively pats on their shoulders; on the contrary, the elder sister was walking with her head held high, straight and giving off a certain sense of competence through her composed and serious figure.

Ruki, two meters away from the three, was looking around with disinterest and absorbed in his own thoughts; and as they made their way to the room where the blood supplies reserved for the vampires were kept, he seemed to hear Mary's voice coming from a room in the adjacent hallway.

He halted, looking in that direction, and after glancing at the little group that went on without caring about his presence, he had taken advantage of it to turn and stretch out his ears: he heard her voice again and found where it was coming from, then he approached a door ajar.

Inside, he saw Mr Ari sitting lazily on a chair, with a look of annoyance on his face, and mumbling something incomprehensible; there was Mrs Elena, standing with her hand covering the lower part of her face and her eyes veiled with slight worry, or perhaps stress; in front of the door he recognized the profile of Ryan Plum, who was looking at the ground, thoughtful; finally, widening his eyes, he found Mary sitting on a bed, her upper body almost completely transparent except for her head, her neck, some spots around her shoulders and maybe even under the only garment she was still wearing along with her jeans trousers (that was a sports bra).

\- I thought that with that vial the process would have slowed down... - the green-eyed woman murmured, in a weak voice - If you tell me that in two days your legs have become transparent and now your chest also has...

\- _Poor Shuu-san_ \- Ryan suddenly commented, apparently impassive, dodging in time the bedside table that slammed against the door, closing it; fortunately, Ruki had been able to react rigidly, so as not to draw attention.

\- Avoid these futile and insolent remarks, please - Elena reproached him, giving him a dry look, while Mr Ari mumbled to the half-witch if she had noticed any changes in her "telekinetic" powers.

\- I did - Mary whispered, trying to remember what she had observed a short time ago - It happened that I couldn't make myself be understood by _them_... and I think the regenerative process has accelerated a bit.

The vampire couldn't see well, but from Mrs Elena and Ryan's frightened cries and the smell of blood he deduced the girl had probably gotten a wound on her arm, or anywhere else, to prove her hypothesis; he thought of how much pain she had felt, how much courage she had put, and how hard she had struggled to not let out any moan of pain.

After a moment of silence, he heard Ari.

\- It usually takes a little more time to heal, a cut like that... What about the operation?

Ruki felt himself stiffen and wondered what he was referring to, strained by the gravity of their voices and the dark atmosphere hovering in that room.

\- We can't carry out the operation with this state... - Elena answered, this time clearly anxious; Ryan gave a slightly unnerved sigh and a rustle was heard, as if he had pulled his hair back in frustration.

\- What if I kept on taking that medicine you gave me together with the other vial? - the half-witch suggested.

\- No, it wouldn't help much.

Silence fell.

\- _That's a ring of the ritual_ , isn't it? – Mr Ari suddenly asked.

Again, everyone was silent, just a few rustlings of clothes and movements were heard, then the frantic noise of heels on the floor tiles.

\- Mary-chan! _Don't tell me that_... ?! - Elena cried, somewhat shocked.

Suddenly, among the various scents, he recognized that of another vampire who had just teleported in that room; he thought he'd better get away before being noticed by _him_.

\- _What's going on_? - Shuu asked, with a tone demanding explanations and from which it could be deduced that he had been worried about Mary; she was about to tell him that he shouldn't have been there, but was interrupted by Ari, who answered in a cold voice.

\- Her artificial lung must be changed, but the operation isn't doable in her current condition. Furthermore, the process to become _Izanami_ is very close to end. And, all of this, could cause her serious problems if a new creature is growing inside her womb.

The following silence was the most disturbing that had ever fallen.

And Ruki had immediately disappeared.

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	33. Chapter 32

_Chapter 32_

\- What's his problem?! - Anna muttered, glaring at Claire who was giggling along with Laito as he was telling everyone Ayato's bloops during their city tour, while Yui was blushing and holding back a laugh from time to time and Kanato giggling sadistically.

\- _Sister complex_ \- Morten hissed as he was already preparing dinner; Theo entered the kitchen and heard his words.

\- Oooh, are you talking about Markucchi? Poor boy, he's still sobbing because Shuu-san stole his Aneki - he sighed with a smile amused and at the same time sorry.

The blonde raised her eyes to the sky, letting out an annoyed grunt.

\- I thought I heard a _sow_ \- Yuuma grinned leaning against the wall enclosing the kitchen, his eyes focused on the very witch who blushed and instantly approached him to protest.

Theo and Morten watched them arguing.

\- Since when do they get along? - the second asked looking at the friend with a puzzled and horrified expression.

\- " _The course of true love never did run smooth_ ~" - the other hummed, munching a piece of bread and heading into the living room to join the others.

The smiling wizard examined the group, at first silently: Azusa and Finn were quietly sitting next to each other, watching the others; Reiji and Lily were murmuring to each other negative comments about those who were too _flashy_ ; Martha was laughing loudly at Laito's jokes, before giving Theo a sweet smile as he reached her on the couch, sitting next to her; Subaru was hiding a smile, holding his head down, and Isa was giggling, satisfied (after all, she had managed to stay close to him all day and make him feel at ease: she should have noted this victory in her diary!); Yui was looking at everyone with bright and happy eyes, relieved by the new peaceful atmosphere; Yuuma and Anna joined in while exchanging dirty looks and throwing snide remarks to Kou and Claire who were mocking them; Kanato was whispering something to Teddy, sulking a little, probably because he didn't consider any of them worthy to keep him company.

Ruki stood a little apart in front of the shelves full of books, overwhelmed by thoughts which nobody, except one, knew about; he only approached them as soon as he noticed on his wristwatch that it was time to go: the Mukami brothers had been invited to stay at the Flyer spouses' house for dinner.

\- Kou, Yuuma, Azusa. It's time - he simply called them, nodding at the others to bid farewell, ignoring Laito and Kou's confused comments about how strange he seemed that day; Azusa stared at him worriedly and got up to follow him, not after having Finn crush his arms affectionately.

As soon as they left, everyone (but Azusa) stiffened and slowly turned to the door behind them.

\- Momo-kun. _Fu_ -...!

\- Hey~ Mark-kun, stop popping out so suddenly, we're vampires, but you could give us a heart attack...! - Kou complained, shaking his arms at the half wizard who murmured a feeble apologize, his eyes swollen and red from crying: the four brothers widened their eyes and Azusa asked him if he was okay.

\- _Aneki_... - the dark eyes of the young man watered again, making them stiffen; the blond and the giant immediately tried to console him or distract him by changing the subject, as Ruki observed him, speechless.

 _I can relate, though_ , he thought, unaware that the younger brother was staring at him.

* * *

They called Yuuma several times from the trance which he had fallen into at seeing the garden of the Flyers' house: large, surrounded by trees including a cherry tree, a hazelnut tree, a pine and a weeping willow; at the bottom there was a greenhouse and in front there were well-organized flowerbeds and all sorts of imaginable vegetables and plants (or so was written on cards anchored in the ground: few seedlings were left and others were to be planted later, since the winter season was approaching). He pondered what wonders could have been in the greenhouse, but his imagination was interrupted in time Mr Flyer's voice, who had exited the house to open the gate.

The man had said to himself that they could have comfortably teleported into their house, and thus avoiding going out; however, the wife wouldn't have appreciated such an attitude at all, and it was better to keep her in a good mood, after all the negative stuff that was happening, that is the bad news exchanged with Karlheinz about the Demon World, but also the positive news, like their daughter's marriage - which he had accepted with heartbreak. _His baby daughter_...!

Mr Flyer shook that set of thoughts from his head, greeting back the Mukami brothers through the gate; he patted Mark on his head and led the boys to the entrance, inviting them to move forward and asking how the trip had been.

\- A bit tiring since we walked... for an hour... - Kou choked with his own words, perceiving Ruki's glare on his head, and fell silent.

\- Oh, of course - the man said, crossing his arms, impassive - You can reach this place only by foot, at most by bike or motorbike.

\- As _Aneki_ used to... - Mark murmured, heading for a room where a delicious scent came from; the vampires heard him greeting his mother and her sweet voice reciprocating, hinting at something about the rooms.

\- Are you very far from the city? - Ruki asked.

\- A twenty-minute walk from here – Mr Flyer simply replied - Come, I'll take you to the living room to drink some hot tea.

\- I'd love to... - Azusa murmured, smiling, as they followed him into a room with a couch for three people, two armchairs, a wooden table in the middle, a lit fireplace and a rocking chair in front of the window whose shutters had been pulled down.

Kou, sitting between Ruki and Azusa, had looked around, observing how rustic and simple that house was, though rich of elements: some paintings were hung on the walls, vases and books placed on some shelves and dried flowers and herbs hung from the ceiling lintels; the walls were painted with a very light blue fading to white at the top, the upholstery of the couch and armchairs were the colour of sand and the table was white, matching the door and the window frames. What surprised the four of them was the atmosphere: comforting, welcoming, _warm_ , as if it had been their own home.

Yuuma, who sat in one of the armchairs, stared curiously at the plants that had been hung with strings and pins on the ceiling, wondering whether they had the purpose of perfuming the rooms or they were used for food or curative purposes.

Mr Flyer, who had been absent to take the tray with the tea set, returned and poured the aromatic drink in the cups and handed them to each of them, whose nerves relaxed thanks to the teas scent as soon as it reached their nostrils.

\- What's this tea...?! - the blond tried it – IT'S DELICIOUS! – he exclaimed loudly and enthusiastic, his taste buds overwhelmed by a sweet taste, albeit slightly sour, and spicy, as Azusa sipped the tea, delighted, and Ruki reproached him to compose himself.

\- I'm glad you like it, Kou-kun - the Glass Lady's voice made them jump up and bow their head in a respectful nod towards her, who greeted them back in the same way while smiling and sat down on the rocking chair, fixing the purple shawl covering her along with the ultramarine blue dress - And I'm even more pleased to see you again, all of you.

The vampires sat down, cracking a smile.

\- It's simple black tea, I just add some of the herbs grown by my husband - she explained, glancing at the man who had sat on the armchair near her, on the opposite side of Yuuma, who felt a bit uneasy being in front of them.

\- Mh? Where is Mark-kun? - Kou asked looking around and sniffing the air, after Ruki had thanked her for the information; the Glass Lady pointed her forefinger upward.

\- He has retired to his old room - she said, resting her hand on the other - He will join us for dinner. How are you? How are you doing here, on this island?

The four brothers exchanged a knowing look: in order not to delay the dinner too much, they would have to sum many things up, because they had too much to tell.

* * *

\- Thanks for your help, Ruki-kun.

\- Don't mention it, Glass Lady - the vampire smiled as he dried some of the dishes he had just washed, helping the woman who was storing the dry tableware in the blue painted wooden sideboards - Anything to return your hospitality .

\- Oh, don't talk nonsense, dear - the demon gave him an amused look - Or if you really want to thank me, it's enough for me if you accept to stay here for the night.

Ruki had tried to refuse but her severe and intimidating look, emphasized by her usual smile that at that moment looked also rather disturbing, made him desist: about twenty minutes later, he had recalled Kou and Azusa, who had begun to chat brightly with Mark, and Yuuma, who had gone into the greenhouse with Mr Flyer, to see his plants and also to talk about family matters; in particular, it was uncertain whether if the giant was glad or still slightly confused, as he had seen some very old photos of his presumed relatives and Abel in particular, the one who had probably been the only brother surviving the fire which had destroyed the village and his family.

The available rooms (including the twins' one) had two single beds each, and in a short time, albeit with many complaints by Kou, they agreed that Ruki and Yuuma would have slept with the half-wizard, and the other two would have rested in the guest room, with walls painted with ochre yellow and white and brown floral patterns, the same colour as the dried flowers filling the green vases lying on the two oak chest of drawers.

Although it had been established from the beginning that Mark would have slept on a _futon_ , the wizard changed his mind as he realized that one of the two would have slept on his sister's bed; and while reflecting on this very important and vital question, the two brothers were examining the room: Ruki was struck that there were other shelves with books and sheets full of cluttered notes, certainly owned by Mary; the giant, was grinning, amused by the several trinkets abandoned on the furniture, the photos hanging on the walls portraying the twins and that _idiotic face_ , the scribbles on the walls (who knows how much the mother had tell the daughter off...) and some closed mysterious boxes.

Here the essence of those twins was totally evident, represented by the objects.

\- Yuuma-kun, sleep on the floor.

\- _Hah_?! – he snapped, giving him a shocked look, more for the sudden change of idea than for the idea of using a _futon_ ; he had slept in worse conditions, after all...

\- I don't want any of you taking _Aneki_ 's bed.

Ruki and Yuuma widened their eyes at Mark's curled lips, sulking like a child.

\- Momo-kun, I didn't think you really had a sister complex! Aren't you crazy about one of those blond sisters? – the giant shouted, as the other let out an exasperated sigh and brushed his hair in that so typical and melodramatic gesture; at first the wizard blushed at hearing about Ellen, then mumbled something incomprehensible and his eyes watered again, alarming Yuuma who proceeded to give him a little pat on the shoulder, a little embarrassed and uncomfortable, mentally looking for a few encouraging sentences.

\- Come on... it's life, no...? - his eyes then fell on his older brother's figure who had suddenly darkened and was emitting vibes of depression; the giant snorted annoyed.

 _Why do I have to deal with these two mopers, WHY_ , he thought, pulling away and letting the two curl up on themselves, next to each other, confessing all their thoughts through grumblings, _Surely it's big news to see Ruki in this state..._

The giant stopped for a moment in front of a portion of the wall, observing the hanged drawings: he chuckled at reading the irregular signature "mARy" with stars around it (or at least they looked like stars, maybe they were flowers?), then rubbed his chin, confused while trying to identify the strange spots recurring in a lot of drawings, around what looked like a child, probably Mary herself.

\- Momo-kun – he called, taking advantage of that occasion to both find an answer to his curiosity and divert the two's attention from their love problems - What are all of these strange things in _chubby_ 's drawings? I mean, I can recognize trees and houses, more or less, but these things... they look like _little monsters_?!

The twin sobbed a moment before pondering about the question and the answer; in the meantime Ruki had also gotten interested and, once standing, he looked at those doodles, adding that they were certainly bizarre creatures, judging by what he recognized as eyes.

Mark stood up to sit on his sister's bed and finally spoke, keeping his head down.

\- As you know, I am blind. But I have such a fine hearing that I can hear the voices of the dead, the noises that nobody else can hear and... in short, everything you could never hear - at these words the vampires exchanged glances, frowning at the bitter expression that had appeared on half-wizard's face – Whereas, we can say that _Aneki_ has the gift of sight.

The two brothers, especially Yuuma, took a while to grasp the concept.

\- Do you mean she sees things that others can't see? - Ruki asked; the other nodded, sighing.

\- It's terrifying at first, you know. I had no idea about what was happening, in the midst of all those voices and sounds - he covered his ears, remembering the anguish he had felt during the early years when he had begun to become aware of what was around him, _in the total darkness_ \- and who could have believed my little sister, when she was screaming that there was a black monster about to kidnap me? Many people know that children may see figments of their imagination, but this wasn't the case... Few people believed her, obviously because they knew what was the truth about _Izanami_.

\- Wait, there's something I don't understand: what do you have to do with all of this? - Yuuma snapped, irritated by the chaos in his head caused by all that informations - I mean, chubby is _Izanami_ and has all the mess to deal with; but _you_? _What's your role_?!

Mark seemed to move his face to stare at him; if he had raised his face a little more, he would have succeeded in giving the impression of looking at him in the eye.

\- _The first_ Izanami _and_ Izanagi _were twin brother and sister_.

* * *

\- That was unexpected... - Shuu thoughtfully whispered, stroking the back of the half-witch lying next to him, both wrapped in the warm quilt, in the tree house they had chosen as their temporary home.

Mary bit her lower lip, nodding.

\- It seems _Izanagi_ was blind, mute and even deaf; he could only rely on tactile perception and smell. And _Izanami_ was his only relative who could have taken care of him, so they shared a very strong bond - she added, trying in every way to prevent her emotions from leaking through her voice or facial expression, in vain - They were alone, and, moreover, _Izanami_ could see the creatures hiding from other eyes, and they were often pursued by the most malignant ones, eager to feed on their flesh as it concealed enormous powers within. She always sacrificed herself to protect her dear brother.

The vampire frowned and squeezed the witch against his chest, stroking her head as she burst into tears; it was difficult to put together the disconnected words that she was saying between a sob and the other, but he managed to get the ending of that story.

After incessant escapes, fleeting shelters and several injuries, _Izanagi_ , tired of not being able to keep his sister safe, had protected her when she had been herself in danger, exhausted and gravely wounded; however, he had been killed by the umpteenth creature which had attacked them: _Izanami_ 's pain had been so intense that her powers, awakened, had destroyed everything within a very long distance.

\- S-Shuu... _the same thing happened_... a year and a half ago... - the girl whined in a broken voice, clinging to her beloved's body.

\- Shhh, sleep... you'll tell me tomorrow - he murmured in her ear, kissing her earlobe and closing his eyes.

Mary fell asleep shortly thereafter; and the vampire, caressing the cold and transparent skin of his beloved, looked up at the ceiling, thoughtful.

He couldn't imagine that the next day would have been the first of a series of unpleasant events.

* * *

 ** _I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	34. Chapter 33

_Chapter 33_

 _\- Ki-kun_?

Ruki jumped on the spot and, from the frost-covered rosemary bush he had absently lingered on, turned his gaze to the one who had called him, wide-eyed.

\- _Livestock_... - he just muttered.

They stared at each other for a few seconds without saying a word, her at first surprised and then restless, him at first thoughtfully and then bitter.

\- You heard everything yesterday, right...? _At the hospital_.

The vampire's eyes widened more, baffled that the half-witch had noticed his presence the day before; thus she also knew that he had heard everything until Shuu's arrival and that he was consequently aware of _that_ possibility. The two felt even more uncomfortable; suddenly, the smiling Glass Lady left the house, breathing deeply the morning fresh and clean air, and then released a sigh of annoyance and look at them, getting closer.

\- I suppose you just got bad news, Mum...? - her daughter asked, tilting her head worried; the woman nodded, placing her fingers under her chin and looking at them.

\- Karl told me that some demons are probably planning an attack to create a turmoil in the Demon World, but also here - she explained, letting out another sigh and adding that situation was even more tiring than _Izanami_ 's process; she looked at Mary, gently, and caressed her cheek - My lavender flower, be careful during my absence. I'm afraid unhappy events will soon occur...

The Glass Lady turned her eyes to Ruki:

\- I hope you don't mind if I ask you to protect Mary, Ruki-kun. And this favour concerns, possibly, _everyone_. _Help each other_.

The vampire initially fell silent, apparently absorbed in some thought, and then bow his head respectfully, making the girl widen her eyes out of surprise mixed with shock.

\- Of course, Glass Lady.

The woman smiled and bid farewell, leaving and walking along the path to the forest.

Silence fell again, as they both exchanged glances full of emotions: she was glaring at him as to reproach him, while he resolute; after all, it was his duty to protect her both as _Izanami_ , and thus to loyal to Karlheinz's plan, and as well as the girl he loved.

If he couldn't _have_ her, he would have given his life to _save her_.

* * *

Azusa, Kou and Ruki were taken by Mark back to the city; Yuuma had remained with Mr Flyer, who had suggested to spend the morning with him in the garden, helping him carry out some cleaning and maintenance work: obviously, the giant had accepted.

At first, perhaps because they were both awkward, the wizard had only given some instructions (and observed intensely that hamster-like spirit wandering around expelling little evil beings) and the vampire had asked questions of curiosity and to verify he had correctly performed the assigned tasks; little by little, they had begun to exchange some details about their life, the man curious to know about his bond with the three adoptive brothers, the other interested about his family and how he had met the Glass Lady.

Mr Flyer had perceived that Yuuma's questions were particularly focused on that subject because of his past; certainly the giant had an idea of what a family felt like thanks to his brothers, but certainly he felt deep in his soul memories longing to resurface, aware of those times when he grew up with parents and unknown brothers.

\- Hah? _Chubby had been once stuck with her hair at the gate for three hours_?

\- Yeah. Since that day she has always kept her hair no longer than the base of the neck. If I had come home earlier... - the man sighed, rubbing his forehead.

In the meanwhile Yuuma was snickering as he filled a bag with dead leaves and twigs, while Freckle was pursuing another evil spirit, trying to look more aggressive.

* * *

\- _That's no good_!

Ari was walking back and forth agitatedly, brushing his hair with his hand angrily; Elena was nibbling on her thumbnail, frustrated by the umpteenth failure of the dozens of experiments they had been trying since five in the morning, in that private hospital lab.

\- We won't be able to replace the lung in time... - the woman murmured, trying to suppress the strong nervous crisis that was about to assail her.

\- _How long has she got left_? - he asked, watching her anxious and tormented eyes.

\- It's a matter of days... but, as the Glass Lady told us, if any hardship was to happen, the probable stress that Mary-chan would suffer could worsen her condition... two days...

Elena dropped into her chair, resting her elbows on her thighs and hiding her face in her hands, beginning to tremble and sob, discouraged.

The man stared at her, clenching his fists: the unbearable impotence, the desire to console the woman he loved and the urgency to save his pupil, he didn't know which of these would have led him to mental exhaustion first.

* * *

Anna was boiling with irritation and her patience was growing thin; moreover, the more that _annoying presence_ behind was teasing her, the less she was focusing on the Physics test.

 _Damn Claire_ , she roared in his head, thinking it would have been convenient if it had been legal to bring weapons into the school; she would certainly use her katana to amputate her "friend"'s hands and put an end to that _annoying poking_ on her back.

\- Annaaa~ I don't know the answer to question fifteen~! - the whispered redhead in a very low voice, this time using her pen to touch her shoulder.

 _Instead of copulating with that pervert, you could have studied!_ , the blonde witch thought with a throbbing nerve on her forehead, almost breaking her ballpoint pen in half.

In the meantime, after answering all the questions quickly, Finn reread her answers with a satisfied look and, as always, stood up to trot towards the teacher's desk and deliver her test sheet; certainly her _senpai_ would have been very proud of her and her results!

In a classroom downstairs, meanwhile, the history lesson went on slow and soporific to the students of the tenth class; Isa, despite trying to listen carefully and take notes, had many dates spinning in her eyes, and her poor ears were smoking because of all the merciless historical facts following one after the other; she envied Michaela-chan and Lucy-chan, Anna-senpai's younger sisters, since they still were in sixth and ninth grade!

How much she missed those happy years, where everything seemed simpler...

* * *

\- Since when are you allowed to join inspection patrols, Theo? – Mary asked, as she cautiously descended the steep hill to the sea that bathed the island at the west; the half-witch was wearing the uniform with the yellow band, the old uniform she had left in her closet more than a year ago and she had personalized herself, keeping the trousers and shirt the same and modifying the overcoat to use as a cape.

\- Since they started dealing more and more often with malfunctioning devices~ - Theo hummed, spreading his arms to inhale the sea's pure air, enjoying the smell of salt and the icy breeze giving him those familiar goosebumps - Cho-hime, it seems that there are people doing it on purpose...

She paused for a moment, pulling out her binoculars and looking into the ocean in the distance and turning around to inspect the visible part of the Japanese coast; when she shifted the tool from her eyes, these had become dark silver and her eyebrows were frowning in an spiteful grimace.

\- _Foul traitors_ , in short - she hissed, grinding her teeth.

\- Mh... - the green eyes of her friend lost themselves in the sky, smiling full of bitterness, but also of anger.

Anger towards the one whom everyone had trusted, but should never have had.

They heard Angela, the eldest of the five blonde sisters, call them from some cliffs forward and shout:

\- Morten-kun sent a message from the general headquarters...!

The boy giggled nervously, murmuring that it promised nothing good, but _hail and lightning_ ; Mary sighed, and added that, from what Mark was telling her telepathically, they could have even expected a _great flood_.

 _The air itself is afraid. The voices of the clouds are anxious._

 _You're fuming because they interrupted your sweet moment with Ellen-senpai, be honest._

Somewhere, Mark was curling up his lips, sulking and red like a tomato, as Anna's second older sister received more radio communications, her face very serious and worried.

* * *

Martha pointed at different types of desserts for Kanato, eager to taste all the delicacies put on display by the bakery where she had taken him to keep him quiet, due to Ayato's persistent vexations, reprimanded by a Yui who _was gaining more and more power_ over of him (thanks to the _female tactics_ used by women to control their mates), and Laito's, who had at last turned his attention to Ryan to talk about their... _experiences_.

Noticing her brothers' disgraceful behaviour, Reiji had remained aloof with Lily, with whom he had decided to exchange a few words about the doubt that had arisen since he had met those two sisters; it almost seemed she had been expecting it, since she had interrupted him by apologizing even before he could begin to speak.

\- I'm aware of what you want to ask me; well, my mother was a pureblood vampire, of low rank, while our father is that man you know as Richter... your uncle, if I'm not mistaken - Lily gave him an intense knowing look from behind her crescent spectacles, careful to keep her voice low so that Martha wouldn't hear, as it was a very sensitive topic for her.

Reiji smiled, pleased.

\- As I thought... I wouldn't like to be indiscreet, but I'm puzzled. I thought our uncle had _madly_ \- he involuntarily used a sarcastic tone - lost his head for... _another woman_.

Lily was silent for a second.

\- Perhaps he had _urges to satisfy_... - she hissed, barely holding back the hatred leaking from those words.

The vampire looked at her thoughtfully, before calling the triplets who were about to argue with the pastry shop assistant.

* * *

Blissfully lying on a bench, totally oblivious to the frost and the passers-by's confused glances, Shuu was sleeping, listening to classic music and enjoying the cool breeze kissing his cheeks, imagining them warmer and thus he mentally thought of Mary's lips...

 _Aneki, I'm always afraid to hear Shuu-san's thoughts by mistake._

 _Ah, I feel you, Aniki._

* * *

Subaru was walking along the narrow streets of a small district, observing through the windows the inside of antique shops, inns where small groups of friends were playing chess or resting from the first shift of work, chatting about anything; he would have never openly admitted it, but he felt a bit envious of those young people, so cheerful... and even if in some moments two people were fighting almost physically, they would reconcile and try to talk about it together, embarrassed, or perhaps still annoyed.

Surely, the atmosphere was very different from the one he had always perceived among his "family"; those four Mukami were more like a family...

\- _Suuubaru-kuuun_ ~!

The albino accelerated his pace, ignoring that voice announcing the arrival of his damnation; a couple of meters behind him, Kou snorted, stopping his pace.

\- Ugh, why does he always run away...! – he muttered, as Ruki murmured that the youngest son of the Sakamaki family wasn't entirely wrong to react that way.

\- Kou... why don't you... follow him...? - Azusa suggested to his brother who immediately jumped on the spot and began chasing the albino cheerfully and enthusiastically, giving him the most bizarre nicknames that could think of and receiving insults in return.

The Mukami oldest brother brushed his hair back, exasperated, and looked at Azusa with stern eyes:

\- You did it on purpose, _right_.

\- Hehe... if Subaru-san gets angry... he can take it out on me... hehe... - Azusa chuckled, satisfied with his brilliant plan; after all, Finn wasn't with him, so he had to find other ways to feel pain.

Ruki rubbed his forehead, sighing again, and thought about how to avoid Subaru's anger because of Kou; approaching the two who had stopped to fight, the first angry and the second sulky, he tried to calm them down, but was immediately interrupted.

* * *

A sudden _roar_ shook the whole city.

The glass was quaking, blackbirds and sparrows rose in fear; students got up after a few seconds of stiff confusion, looking out the windows at the outside for the possible source of that sound; most of the adults had serious expressions, aware of what awaited them.

* * *

Yuuma looked confused at Mr Flyer murmuring something incomprehensible and standing up to turn his eyes to the sky.

* * *

Subaru and Kou looked around, muttering what the hell was going on, as Ruki frowned and Azusa nibbled on his finger.

* * *

Shuu had miraculously sat up, getting a bad feeling.

* * *

Lily, Martha and Reiji immediately perceived the anomaly in the air; Yui, anxious, and the triplets were puzzled by the city inhabitants, most of them mumbling restlessly.

Ryan had suddenly disappeared, apologizing that he had a job to do.

* * *

Ari and Elena had come out of the hospital in a rush to quickly find out what was happening and reflect on what to do, cornered by time and the situation.

* * *

Anna was repeating agitated that that sound wasn't anything good, and Claire had gone out of class to reach Isa, whom she had heard screaming two floors lower; Finn silently sat at her desk, turning the bracelet Morten had given her in her hands.

* * *

Her classmates had surrounded her, worried and trying to comfort her; but the girl was sobbing uncontrollably and her choked voice tried to say something; Claire pushed her way through the students and crouched next to her friend, squeezing her shoulders.

\- Isa? _Isa_! What's going on?! - she asked her, taking her face streaked with tears in her hands, trying not to be affected by the despair shown in her amber eyes.

\- The .. school... - the girl asserted between a sob and the other- _she_...

The half-demon stiffened, and then stood up and approached the window among the embittered and frightened eyes of the other students; her eyes widened, incredulous.

* * *

\- The old school... it's completely... - Theo whispered, bewildered.

\- _Destroyed_ \- Angela concluded, squeezing the sword's handle.

Mary stared blankly at the ghost of the remains left of the old school building.

At that moment, however, nothing existed.

 _It has all suddenly collapsed... I hear their voices... and her..._

 _Rose._

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	35. Chapter 34

_Chapter 34_

They were speechless, minding their own business, sitting where was considered most convenient; from the outside, distant metallic noises and thunderous voices interrupted the silence, also by the drumming of Kou and Laito's fingers on the table.

\- What will happen now? - Yui asked, after what seemed like an eternity, anxious and her fingers intertwined very tightly; Ayato was sitting on the sofa next to her, his head resting on her shoulder with a bored expression, and Kanato was sitting next to him, interested only in exchanging a few words with Teddy.

Anna sighed, brushing her hair without undoing the braid; she glanced around at everyone in the hall, annoyed that the tall guy and the sleepy one were absent.

\- Until we receive new orders, I can't say anything for sure but that we were most likely attacked – she summed up, knowing that it was something far more complex – I'm not sure, but it's very likely that it's not over yet - she added, answering Reiji's question.

Her stone-coloured eyes fell on her junior, curled up against the tables around the kitchen, sitting in a very uncomfortable position; rather than wondering how she could keep her balance and be comfortable, the blonde wondered if she should have suggested her to retire to her bedroom: she well knew what kind of unpleasant and disheartening thoughts were going through little Isa's mind.

Subaru himself was looking at her, surprised that the vivacity with which he had got to know her had been suppressed by that event; _n-not that I-I care about it, eh_ , he thought, looking away before Kou and Laito could have caught him in the act and mocked him.

Azusa sat with Finn and Ruki on another sofa, letting the witch venting her restlessness by squeezing his hands, stared at by the other frowning vampire: the four witches seemed rather troubled, compared to the two female vampires who had sat with Reiji in the computer area to stay in touch with Morten and keep up-to-date on the situation.

Claire particularly showed the most irritated grimace that none of them had ever seen on her face: she was nibbling on a fingernail, gritting her teeth, rolling a lock of hair around her finger with irritation, and moreover ignored Laito's sulking face, eager for attention, since he was getting bored at doing nothing.

Kou, seated on a step of the stairs leading to the bedrooms, was holding his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees and his lips curled to the thousand questions infesting his head, wondering where Yuuma and Shuu were; he wondered, a little to his surprise, if Lucy was safe.

\- Everyone, I advise you to retire to your rooms - Lily suddenly announced, approaching them with Martha and Reiji - They have established that everyone must stay in their own house, except for the night patrols chosen by them; and this applies also for the next few days: as soon as the sun has set until dawn.

\- What about _senpai_? - Anna snorted, her arms crossed, as some were already getting up.

\- They should be back any time soon with Yuuma-san and Shuu-san, don't worry - the vampire smiled, urging the boys and the witches to leave; she nodded to Reiji, not without exchanging a knowing look, and turned to ask Martha to wait out for the others.

She stood still to watch the triplets talking to each other and protesting something against Reiji, inflexible, and chuckled at hearing Anna mutter repeatedly that she wasn't worried; Claire didn't react jokingly as usual to the blonde's complaints and Lily deduced that she had gone straight into bed, coldly, and would have fallen asleep before the other girls, which instead would have struggled to sleep, especially Finn and Yui.

At last, her eyes fell on Subaru, who had stopped to look at Isa, still motionless at the tables around the kitchen.

The vampire turned her attention to the little witch and sighed, thinking that she couldn't do much for her: she knew that it was a very delicate situation especially for them; however, since she had moved with her sister only after _that incident_ , she didn't know exactly what had happened, so she had never dared nor demanded to know about it, nor did she intervene whenever they would remember the incident in some way.

Lily disappeared, reaching Martha outside that house, and left Isa alone, leaving a light on to light up only that portion of the large covered space, with the albino.

* * *

\- _Oi_.

Isa jumped on the spot and her tired eyes rested on Subaru's serious face, who had just sat in the chair next to her; she quickly glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and was startled by the fact that midnight had already passed since quite a while.

 _I stayed here all this time...?_

She was distracted by the vampire's noisy sigh and turned to him, a little confused: why hadn't he gone to sleep with others yet? Had he stayed with her the whole time? Meanwhile, the young man was staring at her with stern eyes, though veiled with concern, and frowning eyebrows also betrayed a certain irritation.

\- It's been hours since those two sisters have recommended us going to bed, and you're still here! - he mumbled, without raising his voice too much.

The witch blinked and stifled a tender laugh that made him blush and snapped out of embarrassment disguised as anger, demanding explanations for that reaction.

 _But at least she smiled_ , Subaru thought unconsciously.

\- I didn't think you cared so much, Subaru-kun! You usually look so indifferent! – the girl admitted while giggling, gently watching his cheeks become redder and redder and listening to his vain attempts to justify this behaviour.

At last, the albino simply looked away, grinding his teeth.

\- What's gotten into you? – he mumbled after a few minutes of silence.

Isa was silent for a while before answering, a little hesitant.

\- It's not the first time this happens. You've probably heard about it before, a year ago, in April we were attacked – she took a deep breath, before going on with a bitter grimace - I had been brought with all the students till sixteen years old, and at the time I was fifteen, in a safe place, specially designed for any offensive or natural disaster. There were also some wounded with us, including Rose-oneesan. However…

The witch's voice cracked and Subaru turned to her, questioningly, then widened his eyes, shocked: Isa was trembling, holding her head in her hands.

\- When I went to see her in the infirmary, she wasn't there... so I sneaked out to look for her, following the traces of blood she had left... - she said between sobs.

 _And Mary-senpai followed me. She had seen me..._

* * *

What had gotten into her _kohai_ , she would have asked her once back safely to the shelter, Mary thought, as she had stealthily moved in the dark, towards where she had seen Isa go. There wasn't just a traitor to find and the reason that had brought him or her to plan those attacks: the unexpected had happened too!

Why had she left? Such an act could have caused unnecessary suspicions towards her, and from the worried expression on her face, Mary had excluded that hypothesis without a doubt; what could have worried her so much to leave at such a dangerous moment?

She had arrived near the school, one of the places at greatest risk of danger; she had mentally thanked Isa for her brilliant idea and, tightening the tail with which she had tied her shoulder-length hair, snuck inside the building, murmuring to her butterflies to inspect the place carefully and to remove any obstacles.

She had closed her mind to the twin as soon as she had heard him call her, apologizing, and had reached the first floor, hearing familiar voices in the distance, incomprehensible.

Carefully approaching, her ears had recognized Ryan's strangled and suffering voice, and her heart had started racing, causing her to risk losing her cold calm and rushing impulsively to his aid; however, when she had heard the gloomy tone and the sadistic laugh of a second person, she had stopped, feeling herself stiffen like a statue.

 _Rose... senpai...?_

For a few moments, she hadn't heard any words more or sounds; her eyes, from behind the corner separating her from the hallway, had seen bloodstains suddenly stain the wall.

 _She just killed an enemy. Right...?_

She had heard a scream which she had recognized belonging to Isa and her hurried footsteps rushing up the stairs leading to the second floor; next, other slow and creepy steps had followed her, accompanied by a hoarse laugh.

Mary had slid against the wall after leaning against it with her back, until she had touched the cold floor; her heart had been pounding slowly, and the agonizing moans of the wounded person had echoed in her ears.

 _It's not Ryan. It's not Ryan. It's not Ryan._

She had felt her cheeks getting wet; unknowingly tears had slid along her pale, trembling skin.

Finally, after closing her eyes and swallowing, the half-witch had tried to get up, in vain: her legs had become like jelly; frustrated, she had dragged herself on the ground by pulling her body weight with her arms, turning the corner and wincing at the sight of who had been laying on the ground, in a spreading scarlet pool, pierced by numerous and lethal short blades.

Almost falling on him, she had settled down so that her chest had been bending over him: she had looked at him, sobbing, and had approached her hand, staggering, to stroke his face, stammering; Ryan had looked at her with almost vitreous eyes, gasping, and had tried to smile, moaning, and raised his hand to her face, gasping.

\- Ma... ry... - he had said in a muffled, feeble voice; streaks of blood had leaked from the corners of his mouth.

\- Ryan... senpai... _Ryan_...! – she had called him in a pained voice; her hands had risen to his, but it had fallen down with a soft thud, slipping from her still absent grip, and the wizard had exhaled his last breath:

\- _Lov_... _ou_...

The girl had begun to see all the colours swirling furiously before her; inside her, she had sensed something bubbling and sending electric shocks all over her body, which had moved without her realizing it.

She had gone through steps and hallways.

And then she had seen Isa's amber eyes watching her sister about to stab her, wounded _by that unforgivable betrayal_.

Mary's sudden red eyes had narrowed on Rose who had noticed her presence, full of hatred, resentment, and spite; before the traitor could have attacked her...

* * *

\- Hey? _OI_! – Subaru shouted, gripping Isa's shoulders as she was convulsing.

\- My fault... _my fault_... _my fault my fault my fault my fault my fault my fault my fault my fault my fault_...

The albino bit his lip: the sharp and uncontrolled movements, the endless and gloomy mantra, the little witch's empty and tormented eyes reminded him too much of his mother and all those moments he had endured living with her; he swallowed and clenched his teeth, searching within himself for the strength to bear with the terrible emotions that were resurfacing and trying to drown him.

 _Why could he break walls but not stand against that agony?_

\- Rose... ROSE... always so close... why... WHY - Isa screamed, banging her hands against the table with so much violence she got bruises on her palms - she's my sister I should have noticed earlier why _why why_ didn't I notice she was betraying us _oh my God_ _it's my fault_ I shouldn't have followed her that night Mary-senpai wouldn't have destroyed the school she wouldn't have suffered so much _NO ONE WOULD HAVE SUFFERED_! - she continued to shout, now no longer conscious.

He was about to go on, and Subaru was on the verge of a breakdown, when two gloved hands reached her from behind and settled on her eyes, covering them; the albino, ignoring the voices of those who had woken up and the presence of other people around them, jumped and turned his gaze to the girl who had just arrived, widening his eyes.

The uniform was dirty and ragged, her silver eyes tired and sad, her hair white but dull; Mary leaned her forehead against Isa's head.

\- Calm down, Isacchi - she murmured in a firm but warm voice.

\- M-Mary... se-senpai... - the witch stammered in a trembling and weeping voice, while raising her cold hands on those on her eyes, squeezing them.

\- Shhh, _Isa_. Everything is alright. Sleep - the half-witch motherly kissed her head and promptly supported the girl's body, which collapsed against her, exhausted.

\- We'll take her to the bedroom - Lily whispered, taking her in her arms, and with Martha she teleported in the girls' bedroom, suggesting that Yui and Anna returned to sleep, the two of them who had been woken up by those screams and had worried over them.

\- Subaru - the albino turned to Shuu, staring at him a little dumbfounded - Go to bed, _little brother_ – he gave him a pat on the head, grinning, perhaps to lighten the mood; the other vampire nodded, disappearing.

Yuuma opened his mouth to yawn loudly and scratched his head, mumbling his goodnight and feigning nonchalantly as he walked to the room shared with Theo and Morten, who followed him after casting a silent glance at his friend, still standing there.

Mark slowly approached her, resting his head on her shoulder, stared at by a little jealous vampire's ocean-coloured eyes.

\- Ah - sighed Ryan, sitting on the couch - Come on! Go to sleep, everyone, tomorrow will be a rough day...! – he advised cheerfully, even if his face expressed something else.

The twin and Shuu exchanged a knowing look and, taking her arm in arm on both sides, they accompanied Mary into the bedroom: Mark crouched in his hammock, forgetting to take off his headphones; the blond laid down next to the girl after helping her relax, and stroked her hair, trying to do his best to murmur words of comfort to her.

Mary hugged him, biting her lips and holding back sobs.

In the hall, alone, Ryan thought; and so he would have done for the rest of the long night that awaited him, as it had always been since he had been exhumed.

* * *

Isa, following Rose's gaze, had turned towards her _senpai_ , widening her eyes and holding her breath of relief, mixed with tension; then she felt assaulted by fear: Mary's expression was so intense and full of negative emotions that hardly a person wouldn't have felt intimidated by her presence.

After wearing golden-spectacled glasses, grinning, Rose had moved like a cat, ready to attack: the butterflies, with silver sharp wings, but still invisible, had flown against her to defend their princess; however, they had been immediately rejected, as if the girl had managed to see them.

Mary in the meantime had already moved just as quickly, taking advantage of her distraction, and had reached the younger sister, standing in front of her; the enemy had again turned towards them, determined to destroy them, but her eyes had leaked confusion as strange bright lines had appeared around the two girls, getting more and more vibrant and taking on the shape of letters in several languages; a strange wind had come in and wrapped them, becoming increasingly strong enough to bother Rose, and abnormal dark halos had closed around them like large leaves or petals with large irregular edges, like a flower that had returned to a bud instead of blossoming.

The writings had settled down on its surface, widening to cover it completely, and began to shine with a light that had spread widely, blinding Rose.

From a distance, those who had been outside had seen this light spread from the windows of the school; then, it had become a huge white sphere and a thunderous roar had broken glass and made the earth tremble, and the light had swallowed everything.

And when people regained consciousness, the following morning, only a crescent of the school ruin had remained; the trees had lost so many leaves and the branches dangled half-broken; the sea had been calm and the sky limpid, like after storm.

On the floor, among the building ruins, Isa and Mary were found unconscious; farther away, there were the torn apart and charred corpses of a young woman and a young man.

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	36. Chapter 35

_Chapter 35_

Kou awoke with a grunt, massaging his eyes and hiding his head under the pillow, to drown out the voices coming from outside the room, in vain: with the very fine hearing given by his nature, those attempts were futile; he raised himself on his elbows, laying down on his belly, and crossed his arms to rest his chin on them, snorting.

\- Ruuuki-kuuun – he chanted, without receiving an answer; recovering full control of his senses, he realized that neither his older brother nor Azusa were in the room, so he got up, got dressed quickly and went out, while tying a lock of hair in his usual ponytail.

He joined Ruki was standing behind the mezzanine railing, watching the people below; following his gaze, he caught glimpse of Azusa sitting on the last steps of the stairs, next to Finn who was resting her head against his neck, clasping his hands slowly, with gestures apparently tired. His eyes then moved to the hall and blinked, perplexed.

Theo was going back and forth from the tables around the kitchen, where Mary was in a bad mood, at the garage, and from the few words they exchanged, it was clear that they were talking about her bike's repairs; sitting at the computers, there were Morten and Lily, with stress painted on their face and with a phone between head and shoulder, through which they were receiving notices from the headquarters (Kou felt like being in one of those action movies, with secret agents and technologically advanced devices).

Martha and Mark were sitting somewhere farther, bored, and talking about random topics from time to time, without being really interested; in the living area, Shuu was sleeping on a sofa, and Ryan was frowning at him over the back, as Yuuma was shaking a strand of plastic grass (?) over the vampire's face, sneeringly guffawing.

The racket that had waken Kou up had been just caused by Morten and Lily's voices, to his surprise: it had seemed to him that there had been more people.

\- Do you understand what's happening, Ruki-kun? - he asked, looking at his brother from behind his golden fringe.

\- They're receiving instructions on what to do; yesterday, after the attack on the old school, they identified some suspicious individuals, but failed to reach and recognize them in time. And it seems that now everything is quiet - Ruki sighed, catching his breath; he added - On the contrary, they're ninety per cent sure that they'll soon attack en masse. This was a kind of warning.

\- _Eeeeh_ , _such bad mews_ \- Kou muttered, crossing his hands against the railings and resting his head on them; perhaps he had thought too soon it was a lot of fun, and it was really a pity, because the environment put him, and the others as well, at ease.

He heard an door opening and, turning around, saw Claire and Anna come out, with indecipherable expressions on their faces, followed by Yui, who stopped for a moment in the doorway, presumably looking at Isa, inside, with worried eyes; the two witches went down the stairs, reaching the kitchen to have breakfast, as the neo-vampire approached the two brothers, moving her gaze from them to the atrium repeatedly.

\- Do you know what's going on? - she asked, worried, clutching her hands on her chest.

Ruhe repeated what he had told Kou and the blonde murmured that the situation saddened her: after all, she had made some friends and thought that during that stay in the city she would have piled up a lot of beautiful experiences and happy memories; the idol was amazed at listening to her, for he shared her opinion, and he wasn't the only one: even the other vampires had perceived a drastic change in their mood since they had arrived, as if that island's sea breeze had purified them (this is a bit exaggerated...).

In the meantime, the Sakamaki brothers left the rooms: Kanato had gone to sit on a chair, chatting with Teddy and mocking Shuu as he was pestered by Ryan and Yuuma; Reiji had approached Lily, waiting for a free moment to update himself on the situation; Subaru had looked around for Isa, shouting at Kou that he wasn't worried about her, then informed by Yui that the witch was still in her room; Ayato, yawning, had rushed into his girlfriend, taking her away from the two Mukamis who had looked at him with annoyed faces; Laito had hurried to the kitchen, following Claire's smell, and had clung to her, complaining that he had felt lonely and ignored.

Ruki sighed and nodded to Kou to get off the mezzanine; as soon as Subaru put his feet on the last step of the stairs, Morten got up from his desk and drew everyone's attention.

\- Since we'll be busy today, you'll have to plan your day yourselves. You can go around the town... but don't get close to the coast, or go out of the city - he specified, brushing back his blond hair - In case you need us, you can come back here and talk to me or Lily-san, or Martha-san if you meet her around by chance.

\- If we're allowed to visit the city freely, I assume that the situation isn't that serious? - Reiji asked.

\- The city is still safe, _at the moment_ ; be careful, please, though it should be easier to detect any danger with your senses, right?

Ayato gloated right away, saying that he would have immediately noticed if something was wrong, to which his brothers and Mukami rolled their eyes, as Yui cracked a smile, somehow softened by his megalomaniac attitude.

\- Morten-senpai, we're going - Anna left the kitchen followed by Claire, who looked a bit more cheerful judging by the smile she had addressed to Laito; the girls, reached by Finn who separated from Azusa with a suffering expression on her face, said goodbye and left, not after struggling at snatching the half-demon from vampire's arms as they were exchanging more and more passionate effusions.

At last, Lily interrupted the communication and stood up, informing that Mary and Ryan had been assigned the task of patrolling the island with another group, Theo was to carry out repairs in the places marked on a piece of paper that was given to him and Mark had to join Anna's older sisters, Angela and Ellen.

\- Martha - she turned to her younger sister – Go to Isa and take her to the Governor – she asked her, and Martha nodded then teleported into the girls' bedroom.

Laito and Kou approached Morten to inquire who the "Governor" was and, ignoring Reiji's comments on how foolish they were not to be able to reflect on who he could be, they learnt he was the one who represented the whole island and had the task of dividing the powers among the various administrative bodies, controlling that the laws were respected and managing the several issues concerning welfare and security of the population.

Subaru jumped and asked if Isa was involved in some big trouble, if she had to meet such an important person, but kept quiet before the two vampires could tease him, blushing violently and looking away.

Theo verified that Mary's bike's conditions were optimal and bade farewell to everyone with a smile, leaving with Mark, apparently impassive, yet betrayed by his trembling hands at the thought that he would have been next to the girl he was in love with.

Mary hadn't moved yet from the chair and was staring into the distance, thoughtful.

\- _Neko-chan_ ~ - Kou called her, approaching and sitting next to her; not receiving an answer, he wrinkled his pouting lips and snapped a finger against her nose.

\- Ouch! - the girl covered her nose and looked at the vampire in confusion, as Ruki and Azusa joined them.

\- You were ignoring me, _meanie_ ~ - the other complained, sulking; Subaru muttered something from afar that made his eye twitch and soon disappeared from her view to bicker with the albino.

Mary blinked, looking at them puzzled, then giggled.

\- Ah... _Izanami_... finally... - Azusa said, grabbing her hands and squeezing them - I... I rarely saw it, lately... I missed your smile...!

Mary gasped, unable to say anything; Ruki let out an amused snort and stared at her with an almost unusual sweetness, then took on a sour grimace: Shuu had appeared on the other side, resting his head on her shoulder.

\- That hilarious zombie is waiting for you at the door... _be careful_ – he mumbled sleepily, grunting annoyed at hearing Yuuma scream at him not to run away from him (he had managed to slip the strand of plastic grass into a nostril).

The girl nodded and patted his head affectionately, stroking his hair, then stood up and bid farewell to the two Mukami; she waved her hand, turning to everyone else, and left with Ryan, exiting from the garage; engine noises were heard, fading after a while.

Morten and Lily had returned to the computers, armed with the usual phone between the shoulder and the ear, and were immersed in their work; Martha had probably teleported with Isa, because Yui had found the bedroom empty when she came back to retrieve her coat before leaving .

The two families exchanged looks a bit awkward, a bit spiteful.

\- _Let's go have breakfast together_ ~? - Kou suggested, to break the ice, with an arm around Subaru's shoulders, the albino trying to stay calm.

They glared at him.

And Shuu had returned to snore on the couch.

* * *

The first thing that Reiji and Ruki noticed as they walked through the city streets, was the gaze lost in the emptiness of the elders; some young people would sometimes turn their eyes to the sky or look around attentively, but they were all mostly quiet, absorbed in their daily chores.

Passing by some groups gathered at the corners of the streets, they heard them recall past episodes, referring in particular to what had happened the April of the previous year; the vampires had exchanged a questioning look, but they couldn't find out more.

Or rather: if Ruki would have asked his brothers, or Reiji would have asked Shuu or Laito, _they would have learned something_.

Soon they were both distracted by a restaurant that was already beginning to prepare a few meals: in particular the Sakamaki had recognized the smell of _carbonara_ , while the Mukami had smelled fish soup.

The owner welcomed them willingly and a couple of hours later, Reiji had remained to talk about Italian cuisine; Ruki had headed for the library, and he would ha stayed there for a long time.

* * *

Yuuma had stopped in front of a shop of gardening items, looking thoughtfully at some tools, considering that the ones he owned were old and with no longer sharp blades (also because of _someone_...); Kou had stopped in a shop a little further away with musical and electronic items, pleased that they were selling all of his CDs and didn't think twice to suggest to the owner to plan an afternoon to receive fans and give them his presence, first of all, and an autograph.

Azusa, whom the giant had forbidden to follow him and who cared little about music and electronic devices, had ventured into a cute and cozy little place, mainly aimed at offering an indoor place and a quiet atmosphere to who wanted to stop and study, chat with friends, read, or just have a cup of tea and some biscuits from the inside bar and watch passers-by from the windows; the vampire noticed at last some items on sale exposed on some shelves in a corner, mostly stationery products or completely random (like a pot with a small cactus inside...?), and smiled, thinking he had found the right place to spend free time with his brothers.

 _And also for an date with Finn_.

* * *

Had it not been for a disturbing individual behind them, stuck to the window of one of the counters of the same bakery where Martha had brought him, Ayato would have considered that one of the best moments in his long life: in front of two cups of hot chocolate and two plates of cream crepes and cherry jam, he was sitting at a table with Yui, who smiled, happy that for once they were behaving like a normal couple ( _a normal couple doesn't stay at home twenty-four hours a day to feed on each other's blood_ ); he was glancing at her cheerfully chatting with him, as he muttered, unable to stare at her for long because of her beautiful serene face. He couldn't wait to get out of that place and look for _takoyaki_ , believing they would have helped him cool his head.

Kanato, counting those few coins that he had saved for some time to buy some special sweets, was pondering whether to take a whole ice-cream cake with white chocolate and raspberries or buy a supply of pastries and chocolate bars: a hard choice, and not even Teddy could have answered as the vampire asked him, his eyes bright with frustration.

He mentally cursed Reiji for having reduced his pocket money after that disaster in the kitchen that had happened years before; if he hadn't stolen a part of the money that rightfully belonged to him, already scarce itself, he could have bought both.

* * *

Certainly Subaru despised his brothers, a little less Shuu, but especially the triplets (even Reiji wasn't at their level, with all his reproaches for the broken walls and repair costs, after all he wasn't wrong): Kanato was whining so much that his eardrums were pained and sleep was impossible; Ayato with his superiority issues irritated him to the point of wanting to stab him in the stomach; Laito was the most insufferable with all his references to a _particularly awkward field_ , and also seemed to prefer teasing the albino.

His patience was beginning to graze the limits since, venturing into the school hallways with the watchman's permission, the brother who had followed him kept on asking him a lot of questions about his relationship with Isa.

On the other hand Laito hadn't followed Subaru just to torment him; he wanted to be separated from his Claire as little as possible, a reason not believable from the point of view of a stranger if he had been seen in the corridors of the building: he was waving and winking at every girl met by chance, from those who were headed to a laboratory, to those who were simply going to the bathroom (in this case asking if he could join them...).

During the mid-morning break they had met with the four witches: Anna was rather annoyed by their visit, especially at seeing her flirtatious friend and the perverted vampire looking for a more isolated and intimate spot, and Finn had curled her lips out of disappointment, since Azusa was absent; finally, after a few minutes, Isa arrived too, and was about to inform them about the conversation with the Governor, but she stopped as soon as she realized the albino's presence.

Her eyes sparkled with happiness.

* * *

\- What did Theo-kun write to you?

\- Pfff, something like a lot of gasoline got on his face... _and a bit into his mouth_.

Ryan refrained from laughing, biting his lips, and Mary put the phone in her pocket, shaking her head with a grin on her face; the two of them glanced at the abandoned farm that had belonged that old man who used to open his shop in the city every afternoon, offering to the students sandwiches stuffed with cheese produced by him with the milk obtained by the small herd that he used ranch.

\- I miss that good old man - he said, sighing, and brushed his fingers against the wooden fence.

Mary nodded, narrowing her eyes on the windows glass-free since two years before, when the landowner had died; the latter and the cattle had been sold by the daughter to another farmer, who lived in an area of the Japanese coast and that despite the distance delivered its products to the city... the food was delicious, but yet so different.

\- _Do you remember_? We had come here with Isa-chan that winter, to help her manage her powers... - Ryan murmured in a feeble voice full of nostalgia.

Mary nodded again, this time with a touch of coldness in her eyes; _that time Rose had accompanied them too_. The boy sighed and turned, returning to the bike.

\- Come on, Mary-chan, we still have a lot of places to inspect!

The girl stared at the land in front of her and in her mind images of the late elder appeared, who she used to go and visit with her twin and her father when she was a child, in summer, to get directly from him milk, cheese, meat and some vegetables or fruits that Mr Flyer wasn't growing yet.

She bit her lip and swallowed, holding back tears of melancholy, and turned her back on the farm, reaching Ryan.

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	37. Chapter 36

_Chapter 36_

The following days followed the same plot: the vampires were free to do whatever they liked, sometimes in the company of the others if free for a couple of hours, and the city's atmosphere was tense as always; however, people would carry out their daily activities as normal and quietly as they always did, moderately on alert.

The friendship between Yui and the witches had strengthened: she had established with Isa an almost maternal relationship, finding her very lively and childish even if she was already sixteen; Finn was a comforting and tranquil presence, drinking camomile with her before going to bed; Claire was the typical nice girl whom to chat with, about healthy gossip, advice on body care and constructive culinary tips (especially to the benefit of the half-demon, who couldn't cook that well...); she felt a strong admiration for Anna, her same age but apparently older because she was very mature and had a strong character that Yui probably envied a little, wishing to be just as combative and determined...

Isa, despite her little childish personality, would use all the possible and innocent female methods to make Subaru fall for her; as soon as she found a free moment, she would approach him and find a valid argument to start talking with him, who would at first reply with monosyllables and disinterest, then found himself more and more comfortable and let slip some smiles, thanks to the witch's skill at making him interested. On the other hand, it had happened that Isa had let herself be overcome by guilt, which had resulted in crisis and convulsions: the very lively and sociable witch had proved to be much more fragile than all the others; and since she would often confess her innermost feelings to Subaru, the albino had got to know about her insecurities, her fears.

Azusa and Finn were a desperate case: they were always together and Azusa would have even followed her to the bathroom if the three brothers hadn't kept him from doing so; it was hard separating them in the morning when the petite girl had to go to class, and even the night before going to sleep (Claire had joked they should have given them their own room, but then, to be fair, she and Laito should have gotten one too...). They would often go to that place Azusa had discovered, to get some tea and biscuits and spend time together, without words as usual.

Morten, Theo and Martha would exchange glances whenever Anna and Yuuma were bickering; if the giant and Morten had decided to ignore each other, the first and the blonde witch had never stopped taunting each other: she had stepped on his foot; her hair had gotten stuck in a button of his shirt; every now and then the girl would receive teasing remarks, either sarcastic or mischievous, when she was training; and Anna would tease him whenever he admitted missing Freckle, which had moved into Mr Flyer's garden. " _The course of true love never did run smooth_ " Martha would giggle with Theo.

It's pointless to tell about Claire and Laito, if not to reveal that during those days, overwhelmed by her memories, the half demon had told the vampire of her past, venting her anger, her bitterness, her need to find a true love; he had stroked her back to console her, thoughtfully, clenching his hands as his memory and conscience came into conflict.

Kou had managed to get Lucy's cell phone number from Isa, thinking it might have been useful to stay in touch with a fan he had got to know; or maybe, he was a bit interested...

Reiji and Lily would join for the afternoon tea and discuss about philosophical or scientific topics; in the first case, Ruki would participate in the conversation willingly, whereas in the second their vampire and aristocratic haughtiness was unbearable.

Mary and Shuu, in those few moments they had to be together, mostly at night, would isolated themselves from everyone, her in his arms; the blond would often stroke her belly, her eyes looking at the sky lost in who knows what thoughts; he had sometimes woken her up and comforted her during her sleep, tormented by her usual nightmares.

New " _friendships_ " were born: Theo got along with everyone, especially Laito, Ayato and Kou; Morten could put up with Shuu, Reiji, and Ruki, probably because they were more mature than the others (although it was annoying seeing Shuu sleeping anywhere), but he didn't really like the other vampires; Anna was of the same opinion, although she had found Azusa kind of docile, ignoring his obvious masochism, and thought that Subaru was the most normal among them, considering his touchiness mere and justified consequence of having incompetent and irritating brothers; Finn, always attached to his beloved vampire, had had occasion to exchange only a few words with the Mukamis, and a little with Subaru when he had asked her about her powers; Isa had tried to be on good terms with everyone, and her cheerful smile was particular addressed to Kou, Yuuma, Ayato, Laito and even Kanato, whom she had given some advice to make some handmade stuffed toys, and her presence was still welcomed by others, perhaps Reiji considered her to be rather childish; Claire was the opposite, teasing Laito's brothers along with him, but keeping a neutral attitude with the Mukami brothers.

The sisters vampire: if Lily was comfortable with Reiji, Ruki and sometimes even Shuu's company, Martha was friendly with Kanato, probably because they both had a certain interest for macabre, the only passion that she didn't share with Theo, too sensitive.

And in the meantime Mary was left with her head and some spots on the rest of her body untouched by the transparency she concealed covering herself from head to toe.

* * *

\- A strawberry and chocolate milkshake, _thank you_ ~!

The maid wrote down the last order and politely bowed, going back into the kitchen; Kou clapped his hands enthusiastically, looking forward to the sweet drink for the third time, and then pouted at Yuuma's nudge at his side, the giant glaring at him for his attitude: he had attracted the attention of some curious girls, who were observing them while innocently giggling.

\- Eeeh, _you're so shy Yuuma-kun_ ~ - his brother teased him.

\- _Stop it_ , _you idiot_ \- the giant hissed, trying to focus his attention on some cacti.

Ruki sighed for the umpteenth time, keeping on reading the book he had borrowed from the library; Azusa and Finn also sat at the same table, her drawing random scribbles on the back of his hand with her nails, him enjoying those white then red lines.

He also noticed how tiny the little witch's hands were and unconsciously wondered how she could be so strong and lift objects even ten times heavier than her: he assumed that her power had no limits from that point of view... no?

\- Yuuma-kun, when will you confess your love for that blonde kitty?

\- HAH?!

\- _Yuuma_.

The girls near them giggled, as Yuuma fixed the table he had flipped while standing up abruptly, red as a tomato; this didn't stop him from kicking Kou's shin.

* * *

Ayato didn't approve that situation at all; on the contrary, he was convinced that it was useless, or at least not necessary: why was Anna teaching Yui how to hold the sword, if he himself was able to protect her?

\- Here, good Yui-san! This blow was already more loose, you're getting used to the sword's weight - on the other hand, the blonde was very satisfied with Yui's small improvements as she kept training, under her supervision (and his boyfriend's, who would have opposed it, hadn't it been for the risk of having Anna's katana stuck somewhere...).

She calculated that in a short time Yui could have faced her sister Michaela in an equal fight; Yui, inside herself, was happy, because she felt finally somehow realized, _stronger_.

Kanato was looking at her from the couch, bored, whispering to Teddy that she was really awkward and funny, laughing when the poor girl would stumble in her feet, unbalanced after a particular movement or while performing some other blow.

Reiji was reading a few books of some of the house's shelves, occasionally leafing through some piles of papers on which Mary had previously noted her observations and her studies, focusing mainly on those about the creatures living on the island.

\- _The Dragon_... _of the Island_...? - he murmured, reading one of these.

* * *

Subaru was rather annoyed: he had thought that only him and Isa would have gone out, after she suggested to travel together the city's high streets; instead, there were also Laito and Claire, who had dragged Shuu with them to make him "move his buttocks", as she herself had said (the albino would have admitted that at that moment he had found her really amusing, while he usually considered her quite irritating because she was very similar his pervert big brother).

Isa was always close to him, accompanying him along those narrow streets, and from time to time was pushed by her friend, or the other vampire when the latter was busy retrieving back the blond who had fallen sleep against a pole: in those moments the albino had taken her in his arms, afraid that she might stumble and fall over the lattice supporting those platforms, blushing madly as soon as he met with those amber eyes, surprised and embarrassed, who then smiled at him with gratitude.

In her heart, the little witch also thanked Claire.

\- Hey - Laito's voice at a certain point caught their attention (except Shuu's who was sleeping again on the ground, with the half-demon reproaching him and threatening _to make him fly with her fan_ ) – Is _that_ a Ferris wheel?

The vampire pointed to a very distant circular shape; they were on one of the highest streets, therefore they could see a large portion of the island, including some hills and the forest separating the two cities and also some very high houses or built on the highlands: therefore that ring-shaped and "dotted" structure was quite recognizable.

\- Oh, right! Isa! - Claire exclaimed, turning to the little witch who looked strange, as if she knew what she was about to say – Do you remember? _It's where we found out about Cho-hime's phobia_ ~ We went to that amusement park three years ago, if I'm not mistaken, and...

Shuu rolled his eyes to the sky and increased the music volume: whenever the half-demon would tell something, no one would have been able to interrupt her; even Laito was starting to pale...

However, he still was able to hear the roar that followed shortly thereafter.

* * *

\- Yes? Yes - Anna replied on the phone, alarmed, at the same time signalling Yui to calm down, while Kanato and Ayato were impatiently looking at her, Reiji impassively.

The strong crash that had made them jump was due to the explosion of the control structure located south-east on the island, near the old school building's ruins; so _close_ , yet _none_ of those who had patrolled the island had noticed anomalies in that very area.

While one of their teachers gave her directions on what to do, Anna reflected on how strange that situation was and, mindful of past events, began to fear the worst of the worst: _were there other traitors among them_...?

\- Did you warn Finn? All right, thank you sir - she put down the receiver and took a deep breath, before turning to the vampires - I was recommended to accompany you to the meeting point in cases of evacuation...

Yui winced.

\- Is it serious?! - she asked anxiously, pressing her fingers to her chest; deep down she reproached herself for that attitude: she had to be braver and keep calm!

Anna nibbled her lip, sighed and, before she could add anything, they heard another noise and at the same time the earth shuddering.

\- This is the definitive attack! - the blonde ran to her room and quickly grabbed a backpack and her katana - Follow me and, Yui-san, take the sword that I gave you!

\- E-Eh ?! Which one... What do you by that?! - suppressing the tension of the moment, the neo-vampire widened her confused eyes, turning to the witch who placed in her hands the weapon she had used until then to train - You said it was your first sword...!

\- Exactly - Anna smirked - _A dear memory for a dear friend_! Here we go!

The joy of that gesture invigorated the girl who followed her with the others, holding that gift in her hands, a little observed by a jealous Ayato.

* * *

Claire was complaining at the phone with a superior that she who couldn't leave the three brothers alone to bring Isa to the seashore, insulting him with words that not even Subaru (or Yuuma) had ever had the fantasy of inventing; the amber-eyed witch, was staring at the sea lost in thought, mainly with a distressed expression, and the albino had no idea what she was feeling like. And within him there was a conflict between his conscience, worrying about her, and his _tsundere_ side.

Laito was whistling absent-mindedly, dusting the hat that had fallen from his head when he had jumped because of that roar, and he looked at Shuu, who was quietly snoring on the ground, his back resting on the wall of the stairs where they had stopped; then he glanced at the various people passing, closing the house or shop, and hurrying, some wearing their uniform, others reaching groups, to move towards the shelter provided by the evacuation plans of that city.

\- They are quite composed... - he murmured, indifferent - They know they're in danger, but they don't lose heart. Strange.

\- Humans are more coward; and then there are vampires, like, who don't give a damn - Shuu said, cracking a sardonic smile.

\- Mh... - Laito shrugged, then focused on Claire's conversation, still screaming irritated at the superior that they had to do something for the vampires.

Once the call was over, she turned to them, annoyed.

\- Either you wait for Ficchan to come with the Mukamis and pick you up, or you head for that road – she pointed at the street – and make do. You decide - she looked intently into Laito's eyes, who chuckled, and then grabbed Isa's hand - See you. _Be carefull_.

They started to hear another noise and turned around, seeing black smoke and the visible part of a tall building falling apart; the witch whispered that it was the postmen's tower, before being pulled away by her friend who had cursed, embittered: the three brothers saw her disappear as soon as they turned to a crossroads.

\- Why are they taking the girl to the seashore? - Subaru asked, perplexed, shouting to Laito to shut up as he suggested that he should have called her "girlfriend", but he paused to stare at Shuu as soon as he mumbled something incomprehensible.

\- _Shuu_ , _come again_ ~ - Laito urged him with a faintly cheerful tone, brushing his red hair.

\- The inhabitants of this island... years ago... had settled here to escape from hunters... – he yawned after several unsuccessful pauses, causing a nervous twitch to the albino's eye - And they found a dying dragon, whom they helped recover. To return the favour, this dragon promise to protect them along with all the creatures populating the island.

\- Aaah, like those cute black tiny creature that were at the coast when we arrived~ - Laito exclaimed, glared at by the blond for interrupting him; after all it was a very special case, he talking more than usual!

\- Some people, having powers similar to water, created some... _special contact with the dragon_... so as to collaborate more effectively, or something... And they played the role of _priests_ or something... – he huffed, snorted bored, trying to remember the exact words with which Mary had explained it to him, and got up, ruffling his own hair - That girl is the only survivor of these people, since they were all slaughtered during _that incident_... What a nuisance - he muttered, moving towards the road indicated by Claire.

\- Nfu~ So Isa-chan is a priestess~ - Laito commented, walking behind him.

Subaru thought about it, then shrugged and followed them; priestess or not, (his) Isa remained (his) Isa.

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	38. Chapter 37

_Chapter 37_

\- Lily-chan, please, bring me _that_ test tube; Martha-chan, can you heat _that_ pink solution inside _that_ flask? Thank you.

When they had moved to that city, at first, the two vampires couldn't get their bearings in Elena's lab: there were thousands of test tubes and hundreds of pinkish blends, and after a couple of months they had got used to it, finding Elena's instructions to be useful; for example, saying "that" usually meant the last object she had touched, but how to find out which? Easy: she would use nail polish several times on the same day, since it kept on getting ruined due to her uninterrupted experiments and activities, so she would often not wait for it to dry before returning to work.

Then, when Martha found, among a dozen flasks with a pink solution, the one with the fresher traces of nail polish on the surface, she grabbed the container with caution, placing it on the fire of a Bunsen burner: the colour soon faded to an indigo colour, a change that was enthusiastically observed by the vampire.

Her older sister, meanwhile, had delivered a test tube containing a green powder to Elena, who had poured it into a strange and boiling mixture: the same overflew shortly thereafter and the woman moved away along with the girl.

\- Excuse me, miss Elena, but _what_ _exactly_ _was_ _that_ \- Lily whispered softly, taking off her glasses to clean the lenses soiled by the red smoke.

\- I'm trying to make a potion that can make Mary-chan's lung work longer - the doctor explained, examining the liquid obtained: pitch black, as opposed to her expectations-Damn, this is not good...

Elena's gaze wandered into the room, stopping on the calendar and the wall clock: there was not much time left...

* * *

Mary darted as fast as she could with her bike, along the cemented roads, before making a sharp shift to the right, right into the forest.

\- Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma-MARY-CHAN?! - Ryan screamed terrified, clinging to her as much as he could and thanking the Creator that he couldn't feel any pain as he jerked brutally at each hole, natural bump or what else.

\- Shortcut - the other explained _very briefly_ , barely avoiding fir tree's robust trunk.

The boy cracked a smile that was unconvinced and not at all reassured; he raised his head to the sky, observing the clearness and the blue colour that was so unusual for the coming end of November: it seemed almost as if _the sky was betraying them_ , pretending that the situation was calm and without dangers in sight. He couldn't explain it, but something told him that many things would have gone wrong.

He was so distracted by those negative thoughts that he didn't hear Mary's warning and suddenly found himself twirling in the air, after hearing a strange sound of broken bones or branches, and he ended up on the ground, seeing his friend in the distance slow down and turn around towards him, frowning behind her protective lenses; but there was something wrong and, focusing more closely, he realized that his body was lying on the ground, with a broken branch not far away.

That was why he couldn't lift himself up on his arms to get up...!

\- Eeehm... Mary-chaaan, it would be kind of you if you helped me...

The girl slammed a hand against her forehead, brushing her hair in an annoyed gesture and, resting her bike against a huge boulder, reached him to take his head into her hands, a little horrified, holding it as far as possible from herself .

\- I'm not radioactive, _honey_ \- Ryan muttered as he returned to his body. Black-purple tongues came out of the headless neck and, as soon as his head was close, they hung up to those coming out of the latter and after a loud sound he straightened up, stretching, under Mary's shocked eyes.

\- Come on, Mary-chan, didn't you use to dissect those dead fishes found on the beach...

\- THOSE WERE JUST _FISHES_! - she replied, slapping him on the head.

The boy nodded, pretending not to be convinced and laughed as he received a fist on his arm, following her to get back on the bike; suddenly they heard an animal-like cry.

Mary fell silent, trying to identify the creature which had just screamed.

\- Better hurry - Ryan suggested - _I don't want Grim Reapers to make me one of them_.

The girl nodded and set off.

* * *

\- Ladies, this way, - Theo exclaimed cheerfully, guiding a group of about eleven-year-old girls to the ladder leading into the structure working as a refuge according to the evacuation plans (i.e. the inside of a hill, consisting of a massive and resistant rock ingeniously dug out); the girls jumped and hurried in the direction indicated.

The wizard was looking at them while tenderly chuckling, and for a moment he saw in their place his four _kohai_ , years before, hurrying to the school building, late because of Claire, who would wake up very late; his eyes were full of nostalgia and he allowed himself another moment of distraction to rub his temples, before returning to his duty.

Meanwhile, Mark was listening to the sounds and all the voices in the surroundings, focusing in particular on those of his loved ones; if his friend had passed by chance beside him, he would have realized from the redness on his cheeks that he had heard the Ellen's voice, busy elsewhere hindering their enemies with her sister Angela and other companions: the girl's determination and her combative and proud personality, typical of her family, had replaced the half-wizard's possible worry with the love and admiration.

So much that, through his thoughts, he was sending her messages of encouragement...

And God only knows what Ellen had answered him, to make him blush even more.

* * *

The icy breeze blew softly, caressing Morten's blond hair; from a very high wall enclosing the bay, he leaned against it with his back, folding his arms, and he observed the people gathering on the beach, focusing especially on Isa wearing the clothes and accessories that for years had traditionally been worn by priestesses and priests whenever they would gather to meet the island's Dragon.

The wizard sighed bitterly, remembering the last time he had seen his family gathering for the very same event, many years before being massacred during _that attack_...

Isa seemed calm, more than he would have expected her to be: probably because she was confident in the Dragon's abilities and therefore certain that the situation wouldn't have taken drastically a turn for the worst; this had put him in a good mood, since among the things he endured less was the little witch's demoralized attitude.

Having been a Rose classmate, as well as her teammate, he had been used to see her family a lot, so he was the one who knew Isa best: he had seen her grow up, and he considered her like a sister, like Finn, who was also the amber-eyed girl's best friend.

He moved away from the wall, closing the zip of the black leather jacket, feeling cold, and went down a few steps of the stairs that led to the beach, stopping to admire the colours of Isa's clothes, and of the shiny and sparkling beads which some women were adorning her hair with; his hazel eyes moved on the sea waves, calmly moving, and he breathed in the air impregnated with saltiness.

Yes, he really loved his home.

* * *

Ari looked at some framed photographs hanging on the wall of Mr Flyer's office, who was communicating by telephone with his wife, to learn news from the Demon World; some portrayed the whole family, before the Glass Lady had left for her mission, others just the twins, sometimes in the company of their friends.

All those that had also included Rose had been eliminated, probably hanging once there where the rectangular marks of some paintings had remained.

He sighed, wondering for the umpteenth time how they hadn't noticed anything weird in that traitor's behaviour in all those past years: neither him, nor Isa, nor the rest of her family, nor her friends, nor the twins; and at that moment, he was suspecting that other members of the city were also traitors...

\- Ari - Mr Flyer called him back to reality; the young man turned his dark eyes to the brown ones with a green spot, serious and awaiting updates.

\- Apparently the Demon Lord is responsible for the whole mess... learning only after more than seventeen years about Cordelia's death wasn't helpful at all at keeping him good - he sighed, brushing his hair – Moreover, killed by her and Karlheinz's own children.

\- I guess he raised all this disorder to blame _that man_ \- the other supposed, letting out a grunt of annoyance and disgust.

Mr Flyer nodded, adding that at least there had been no worse: the lunar eclipse could have taken place simultaneously in the Demon World and in the human one, influencing Karlheinz's powers and consequently weakening the barrier he had created to keep in captivity the First Bloods' last survivors, the two Tsukinami brothers; they would have taken advantage of it to look for their descendants, discovering that the only person alive was Yui Komori, a vampire human who possessed Cordelia's heart, whose mother, the late wife of the Demon Lord, was the Tsukinami brothers's aunt.

Ari, a little confused, considered there was also the Glass Lady, Cordelia's eldest sister.

Mr Flyer was silent for a moment, before looking at him and revealing that the blood of a First Blood could be inherited only by the four sub-races (vampires included); since his wife was a demon, it was impossible that this blood flowed in her body.

The ex-teacher asked if Karlheinz was doing something useful.

\- _The last time he tried to do something useful, he made a mess_ \- was her answer.

The two men let out an exasperated sigh, expecting storms.

* * *

\- _SHUU_! MOVE THAT _DAMN ASS_ AND HURRY UP, FUCK!

Some girl in the vicinity who was holding an opponent from attacking her colleague glared at Subaru, horrified by his vulgarity; the albino blushed violently and looked away, muttering something, and then kicking Laito in the shin after his comment about him being lucky that Isa hadn't been too shocked by his rudeness.

Shuu stood up wearily from the bench, protesting that he needed to rest for a couple of minutes, every now and then.

\- With "every now and then" you mean every three minutes?! - Subaru snapped irritably, with a vein throbbing painfully on his forehead.

In the meantime, Laito's eyes had glimpsed a red flash in the sky.

\- Guys... I saw something...?!

The vampires jumped back just in time before being hit by a huge luminescent scarlet ball, which soon became opaque and crackled; it broke into pieces as if it had been made of glass, revealing inside a red-haired, muscular man covered almost entirely with tattoos depicting witches at the stake and the tortured bodies of vampires and demons.

\- It's not obvious that he's a hunter, huh - Laito ironically exclaimed, backing not because intimidated, but because he wasn't exactly the type to engage in battles: he was a peaceful person (unless it was about _torturing_ maidens...).

\- Shut up, pervert - the albino muttered, clenching his fists and watching the man carefully, ready to face him; Shuu, noticing his readiness, muttered if it wasn't the case to teleport himself elsewhere and avoid that nuisance.

As he said it, he saw a metal object shooting at him, ducked with a reflex of his body that had perceived the danger: that man had just tried to hit him with a huge hammer, which was thick and had a quite rather long and strong handle to support its weight; the three vampires glanced at each other and, unconsciously thinking of the dozens young people who could have fallen to the ground killed by that weapon, decided to intervene.

However, they didn't have time to move a single step that Finn had suddenly landed on the hunter's face with her feet; they heard broken bones' _cracks_ and the man fell to the ground, his face turning blue due to the witch's powerful attack, who jumped back, straightening and nodding to the three brothers to reach the Mukami who arrived shortly thereafter, at some stairs where other people were hurrying.

They exchanged another look and followed the sign, reaching the other four, Yuuma commenting at Shuu that he had missed the chance to see him fight; suddenly, Azusa jumped.

\- _Finn_...! _Be_ _careful_...!

The witch's eyes widened: she was turning to approach the others, after verifying that she had effectively stunned the opponent, when she saw the hammer hit her straight in the stomach: she was violently thrown against the wall behind, cracking it due to the force that had hit her and falling to the ground on her hands and knees, coughing badly.

The youngest Mukami screamed something unclear to Finn's ears, as she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, standing on her feet; she ignored the pain and took off her jacket, then shook her hands and focused on her powers: luminescent blue lines covered her skin adorning it with arabesques.

The enemy rushed towards her for another hammer blow: the witch held her breath and grabbed the weapon's head under the vampires' amazed eyes and the man's bewildered ones; Finn tugged at the weapon to unbalance him to his left, she went forward, taking the handle in her hands, and kicked him away in the torso, causing him to lose his grip.

The enemy didn't make it in time to recover that he was knocked out by his own weapon, used by the witch; the blow was so powerful that he bounced on the ground for several meters before slamming against the wall of a garage, partly destroying it.

Finn finally exhaled, letting the huge hammer fall to the ground; the lines disappeared and she staggered towards the vampires, immediately approached by an anxious Azusa who touched her everywhere: no one, except him, could cause her bruises or wounds...!

\- Hey, are you okay, _dwarf_? - Yuuma addressed her.

Shuu chuckled as soon as the giant swore in pain after receiving a kick on the knees by the tiny girl, who was sulking at that nickname, squeezing her beloved vampire's body, who was pleased by the crushing feeling and that she was okay, despite exhausted.

And then they heard the piercing scream that froze their blood in their veins and which they immediately recognized belonging to Isa: Subaru felt his heart in his throat.

* * *

 _Fuck!_

Morten wasn't the type to swear too often, but at that moment it was the only word that his brain could repeatedly suggest, like a broken radio, staring at the scene in the bay in front of him, leaning against the wall to avoid collapsing because of the shock.

Until a few minutes ago, dressed and jewelled to perfection, Isa had presented herself before the sea, firm, and, with bare feet embellished with a pair of coral rings and an anklet of lapis lazuli, she had walked on the water, focusing on her powers, her skin covered by orange lines; she had spoken words in an ancient language and the sea waves had risen to create a sort of water cocoon, which had then melted revealing the Dragon's long and majestic body, with its shining cerulean scales and kind pale pink eyes.

And then, there had been a white flash across the air, and the Dragon's head had fallen into the water, dyeing it with its dark green blood, and Isa had let out a so terrifying scream that Morten had felt his guts writhing.

Comrades were rushing, fighting the enemies who had suddenly arrived, and the wizard had observed all of it quiet and wide-eyed, unable to move; finally, seeing Isa struggling in the water trying to reach the Dragon's head, he knew what he had to do.

He swallowed and jumped down, with the help of his own wires, ready to face any obstacles and determined to recover the Dragon's head, whose body had been swallowed by the sea, to a safer area...

In the meanwhile, tens of meters from the forest, two young people were escaping on a motorbike from a couple of Reapers and a demonic creature.

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	39. Chapter 38

_Chapter 38_

Ayato had raised Yui to carry her on his back, but it was somewhat questionable as a convenient solution, since, while running, the girl kept on jolting (and also had to hold in one hand the sword given by Anna); certainly, however, considering that they had flying piranhas on their heels, she preferred that little torture at the thought of being nibbled alive by those horrible and weird little creatures.

On the other hand, the vampire thought that those hunters and Reiji would have been good friends: Anna said hunters had fun experimenting on any creature or element at hand, a hobby shared by his bespectacled brother.

Anna was much more stressed than she would have been in "normal" conditions: she was still irritated with Reiji because of his comments on her ability to nullify magical powers within a certain limited area, considering it somewhat useless because of this defect and thus _wounding her pride_ ; furthermore, Kanato kept on screaming for the pack of donuts that his hand had dropped during his flight and which he hadn't been able to retrieve back because the witch, wisely, had prevented him from doing it.

 _Which has priority, our security or your gluttony?!,_ the girl thought, promising that as soon as she had got a free moment, she would have choked him; if she hadn't got slaughtered first...

\- Stairs! - she warned, rushing in a hurry, jumping the last three steps, and ignored Ayato's comment that he could do better; did he really have to dwell on his arrogant attitudes at such a moment?

 _These vampires... !_ , Anna groaned in her head, quivering with irritation.

Then, turning at a crossroads, she stopped.

\- Hey, why the fuck did you stop! - the green-eyed vampire began to curse, displeased, and then stopped as soon as he heard a sinister sound of broken bones.

In front of them, an almond-eyed girl and the flashy blood-stained dress had just broken the neck belonging to what Anna recognized as one of their twenty-five-year-old seniors; she recalled him delivering mail between one part of the island and the other, and that he would often bring Isa some apricot _krapfen_ for breakfast.

The killer was...

\- _Rai-san_...?! - she exclaimed in horror and above all _stunned_.

"There are traitors and plots everywhere"; her sisters' fears were terribly founded.

She turned slowly towards her, a unsettling smile full of malice on her face: she was unrecognizable; Anna kept her eyes wide open in shock, until adversary's sudden movement in her direction awakened her senses.

\- Move towards that column, hurry! - she shouted to the vampires, pointing to the aforementioned point with the sword, which she then unsheathed, defending herself in time from Rai's bayonet, which disappeared from her sight and reappeared behind her.

Anna remembered that the Calling twins had the power to teleport anywhere in the surroundings, from one moment to the next: she was clearly at disadvantage, unless she was able to use _her_ power; but with an enemy who kept popping out of anywhere, it would have been difficult if not _impossible_.

She still had the readiness, and luck, to block another blow; then, a burning and sharp sensation spread from her shoulder: she drove Rai away with her katana, the time to recover and observe the depth of the wound, but unfortunately the opponent was much faster and she saw her appear in front of her, ready to kill her as she heard Yui's voice screaming her name, terrified.

That stab never came: she stopped in mid-air, just after the sound of a fired bullet, and Rai staggered back, her face contracted in a confused and distressed grimace, while the dress was stained red at the back and a little at the chest too; then she collapsed to the ground, her eyes wide and glassy.

The witch looked at the corpse with obvious perplexity, then at the person who had aimed the gun at her opponent: it was the twin, Mai, with a lost and dazed expression, shaking hands tightening her gun and lowering it, causing it to fall to the ground; she stammered something, agitated, anxious, horrified and... full of _tormenting regret_.

\- _I didn't want to_... I don't... _I don't know why_... we shouldn't have... _RAI_ \- she said her sister's name with a hoarse voice and full of pain, then stuttered other words without an obvious logical connection, not very clear headed.

Finally, she got back her rifle, pointing it at her with difficulty; Anna felt herself stiffen.

\- _I'm sorry_.

\- _MAI-SAN_ , _NO_!

The repentant young woman fell to the ground, her eyes closed and wet; she seemed more serene than the other twin.

* * *

Azusa grabbed Finn's little body, and Yuuma smiled at them, preventing his little brother from losing his balance by falling backwards due to the strong impact.

\- _Finn_...! Are you ok...?! - the vampire asked alarmed, clasping her shoulders with his arm and her hand with his own; the tiny witch muttered something incomprehensible with a faint voice and her eyes moved from his face to the demon who had flung her away.

It was too strong for her and, unfortunately, she feared she had got a slight fracture of her tibia, judging by the excruciating pain running through her whole leg; she needed reinforcements and she certainly didn't want to let Subaru and Yuuma take care of it, while they had advanced a few steps, cracking their hands, ready to fight that creature.

Before any of them could move, Claire had landed among them; she was crouched on the ground with one knee bent and stretched out her arms, her hands clutching each a purple fan with golden floral motifs.

\- Cl-... Claire... - her friend whispered, as Azusa helped her standing up.

\- It's okay now, Ficchan~ _I'll take care of it_ – her voice dropped, causing slight _shivers of emotion_ along Laito's back, who was looking at her with interest and _excitement_.

She opened the fans and suddenly the wind rose, at first weak and then, as Claire settled upright, moving like dancing, it intensified and seemed to concentrate around the demon who looked around in confusion, as confused were even the vampires while noticing the girl's hair become white: after all she was also a half-witch and half-demon, like Mary.

The girl crossed her arms and on the surface of the fans an irregular golden crust appeared, made by millions of small pointed crystals; the she waited for the wind to form a sort of small whirlwind, inside which the enemy tried to stay with his feet on the ground and emitted electric shocks, in vain.

At last, Claire stretched out her arms in front of her and the golden fragments broke away from the fans, entering the whirlwind that got even more brutal, deeply scratching the demon, everywhere; as Claire decided it was enough, it slowly vanished and the enemy's body fell to the ground, covered _entirely_ with blood.

The vampires gasped: until then, apart from the rare episodes in which they had witnessed Mary's fights, no power had seemed so fierce and ruthless as that; Laito clapped, approaching the half-demon who in the meantime had placed her fans in two special pockets tied to her legs.

\- Nfu~ A truly admirable and enthusiastic show, Claire-chan~ - he chirped in a subtle tone, wrapping an arm around her waist and...

\- _FUCK_ , _LAITO_ , _CAN'T YOU READ THE MOOD_?! - Subaru shouted, as Kou showed a disgusted grimace and helped Azusa to accompany Finn along the road she had told them leading to the shelter.

\- _What a pervert_... - Yuuma spat to the ground, following his two brothers with Ruki, the latter without first giving the same vampire a disgusted look.

Shuu yawned and staggered behind them; meanwhile, the two lovebirds exchanged some last effusion.

* * *

He was running at breakneck speed, ignoring the branches scratching his face and his favourite leather jacket; he couldn't shield his face with his arms, since he was holding the Dragon's head in those, wrapped in thick sheets, the most superficial ones beginning to stain with that dark green blood; the priests had warned him: he had to hurry to the shelter to get it there safely, before the blood touched his skin, burning it and causing some drastic change in his powers or in his organism.

Morten slid down a slope and swiftly crossed the river bank, following its course as it led directly to the shelter; he recalled Mark telling him about that time he had fallen into water with his twin, only to be saved by their father. In short, he forgot what he was thinking and leaped across the spot where the river flowed underground for a short part.

Sweat was sliding along his skin and he was so hot he didn't feel the cold air at the end of November; so hot that he no longer felt the pain of the wounds obtained by avoiding the enemies who had followed him for a while, blocked in time by Anna's older sisters: Angela had thrown him something to alleviate any burns due to the Dragon's blood, Ellen had screamed at him that she would have warned Mark of his situation (even if the twin was already aware of it, most likely).

\- _WOAH_! - he slipped, this time accidentally; he rolled keeping the head to his chest, not feeling a few drops of blood staining and burning the skin of his hands, and he got dirty with mud until he slammed a little badly against a heavy old trunk.

He mumbled something about his back aching and got up after taking a deep breath.

 _I have to bring this head safel..._

Although he was still a little stunned by the fall, he clearly heard a giggle clouded by his steps: he stopped and, with his mind, rummaged through his memories to find the person whom that way of laughing belonged to, albeit more wicked and cruel than the sweet and modest tone than his memory conveyed.

He turned and his hazel eyes met her amber ones, her teammate's, her bestfriend's: whitish blond curls framing her face, Rose was in front of him, her old daggers soaked in poison hovering in the air around her, ready to pierce the wizard's body.

\- Hey, _Rose_. It's been a while - the blond mockingly muttered, stepping back a bit and placing the Dragon's head under one arm to free the other to attack and defend himself.

\- _Morten_. As obnoxious as ever - she smiled; the skin was greyish and covered by stitchings like Ryan's, irrefutable sign that she was a zombie, resurrected by some kind of forbidden and cursed spell.

\- _Better obnoxious than traitor_ \- he hissed sourly and promptly pulled wires in front of him, stopping some daggers in time, as he pulled the trunk near him against the enemy.

 _I have no... time to face her..._

Bitterly, he turned and ran as fast as he could, keeping his ears to the ground and preparing at the moment some small traps with his wires; he felt a piercing pain on his hands and, giving a quick glance a them, he realized that the Dragon's blood had burned his skin so much that it had created deep wounds in his flesh.

He wasted no time in cursing and accelerated, thanking his family genes-...

Another sensation of pain, even more acute and unbearable, spread from the back across the body: it slowed only a couple of steps, and then he resumed his pace, panting and dazed; he began seeing coloured lights at the corner of the eye, signature of that poison's creator which impregnated the blade stuck on his back...

 _I can't ... stop now..._

He clenched his teeth, sweating a lot, and kept on running, screaming as he pulled the sturdy trunk of a fir tree with his wires, breaking it and throwing it against Rose who was taken aback by that strength, although he was already at his limit: toxins were already corroding his guts, according to the times she had measured correctly.

The enemy threw other daggers, most of them avoided, some tearing his clothes and skin, one slipping into his calf's flesh; she heard his painful groans, pleased, but felt an impatient anger in noting that the wizard wouldn't have stopped even if beheaded.

Obviously she was exaggerating, and was ready to resort to that inhumane decision to get rid of him and finally take possession of the Dragon's head.

Everything went wrong, however, because before she could pounce on him, Mark had appeared in front of her, his silver eyes sprayed with scarlet and silver blades that soon emerged from the ground, directed towards her; Rose let out a hostile grunt and dodged it just in time, backing off through great leaps, until her back collided against something very small, cold, and almost sharp...

Then two shots, and she saw two bullets coming out of her stomach, bursting in front of her face and thus grazing her chin and cheeks.

- _THEO_...! – she shouted, turning to stab him on his neck; her wrist was blocked by the half-wizard's hand, appeared next to his friend, who took off his uniform jacket, revealing a tight black jumpsuit underneath, his glasses and his beret, brushing his black hair while keeping his eyes closed.

When he opened them, cold green irises stared at Rose, who evilly smiled, a little electrified by their serious expressions full of hatred towards her.

\- _It's time for showdown_.

Theo's voice had never been so grave and grim.

* * *

Mary yelled at Ryan to step aside, because she didn't want to see him fall apart once again and then help him to fix himself: as soon as he moved, her butterflies hurled at the demonic being the ruins which they had recovered from a small abandoned building in the middle of the woods that had been the river keeper's house many years ago.

The creature was buried by that pile of ruins, knocking it out for the time being and thus allowing the two to focus on the last of the two Reapers they still had to face; the first had been promptly pierced by Mary's silver blades, later realizing she could no longer manipulate them.

Ryan tamed the _shadows_ , making them raise and surround the Reaper; subsequently, he disappeared behind one of them, leaving the enemy to look around confused.

Meanwhile, Mary had momentarily moved aside, focusing on her own powers: it was as if there was some kind of interference between her will and her power; she couldn't create silver blades, or perceive silver atoms around her and manipulate them. It was likely another of the many anomalies that occurred during the process to become _Izanami_...

He heard the Reaper uttering a kind of roar and then the collision of two blades: emerging from a tangle of shadows, Ryan had tried to split the opponent, but it promptly blocked the attack with its scythe; they began to push each other and the fate of each depended on the outcome.

If Ryan had managed to get the upper hand, he would have split the Reaper in two and then pierced its "heart" with his scythe's tip, putting an end to its existence; if the opposite had occurred, the Reaper could have made the zombie one of its kind.

Reapers were very strong creatures in this: _Ryan was losing_.

At that very moment Mary jumped on the enemy's back, squeezing his head in her arms, allowing the young man to proceed as above.

\- Thank goodness... thank you, Mary-chan - he smiled, after watching the creature melt into a dark mush that was slowly absorbed by the soil.

The girl barely returned the smile, and then stiffened: Mark had just told her what had happened to Morten and reported it to him, whom she rushed with to the river; the blond shouldn't have been too far, according to the quick calculations she made while running, ignoring the agonizing pain in her lung because of the effort.

As soon as they were a few steps from reaching the stream, it was enough to look first to the left and then to the right to see the wizard standing near the shore that bathed the envelope wrapped around the Dragon's head, abandoned at his feet.

\- _Morten_! We're here! – Mary cried in relief, running towards him.

Ryan stared at him thoughtfully, and his face took on a bitter twist while approaching.

\- Mo-senpai! - the girl exclaimed, placing a hand on the shoulder of his friend – It's ok now, we're here to help you! We'll go to the shelter together...! - as she went on, her smile faded, until she fell silent to observe him better.

Morten's body was barely cold, _stiff_ , dripping with blood because of the wounds and the poison, which among the various damages it caused also quick bleeding; his glassy eyes were firm on point of the river, his mouth slightly ajar with a scarlet thread dripping on the side of the face that wasn't visible from their position.

\- _Mo-senpai_...? - Mary called him, almost breathless - Come on, I know you're tired... but we still have... - her lips began to tremble.

\- Mary-chan.

Ryan's voice made her turn towards him, slowly and reluctantly: she feared that he was about to confirm her atrocious suspicion; the zombie-boy looked at her with eyes veiled with compassion and a slight embittered smile.

\- _He's already dead_ \- his words were like a fist in the stomach.

\- But... it's... it's... standing ... - Mary stumbled on the spot, eyes wide open and watering.

\- Incredible, right? He was so strong, so determined, that even his body has forgotten that it can rest in peace, by now - Ryan murmured, his voice cracking; if he had been alive, he would have shed several tears.

On the other hand, tears were sliding down her cheeks.

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	40. Chapter 39

_Chapter 39_

Yui observed the shelter's interior where they had been taken with anxious and worried eyes: it was a whole network of rooms, shelves, stairs and columns ingeniously designed and dug into the rock, which proved to be rather resilient since Subaru, after having dropped a fist at hearing what had happened to Isa, had caused some slight cracks, amazed and almost happy that for once he hadn't knocked down an entire wall; nothing was missing, neither an infirmary, provisions, a closet of blankets and clean clothes...

The young people around them were sitting, muttering to each other, walking back and forth, some of those who had fought were laying in some corner to rest; the elders were debating with serious expressions, or going from room to room to analyse the information about the situation and ponder about what to do.

As Miss Elena ran from one injured to another to examine and invite the person or not to join the gravest ones in the infirmary, the neo-vampire's pink irises observed the four witches: Anna was cleaning her katana with meticulous attention, probably to prevent her focus to linger on the Calling twins' betrayal and death; Claire was smoothing her nails distractedly, explaining to a curious Laito the difference between demons and demonic creatures, often mistakenly neglected; Finn was massaging her arms with anti-pain creams, tenderly stared at by Azusa, who was holding her jacket in his hands; Isa was crouched on herself on a bench, sobbing, her legs bent and surrounded by her arms, her face resting between her knees and her eyes red and swollen.

Subaru was looking at the amber-eyed little girl, feeling helpless and unable to say anything in order to comfort her: from what he had understood, the island's Dragon had been beheaded and, despite being a creature that could have resisted this condition for a limited period of time, this was a bad disadvantage, because the island creatures would have remained in a confused state and their eventual help would have been ineffective, without the Dragon's protection and direction; the only hope was for the head to be rescued as soon as possible and returned to Dragon's body, which had been safely hidden in an area unknown to most.

This had been explained by Lily to Reiji and Ruki, as she was turning in her fingers the vial supposed to be delivered to Mary at her return; the Sakamaki second-born rubbed his chin thoughtfully, while the other vampire reflected on how the dragons were fascinating and particular creatures and wondered when that situation would have ended (and _not_ tragically).

Meanwhile, Martha, seated next to her sister, was busy treating Theo's wounds, giggling whenever her boyfriend would let out a painful moan or sketch an embarrassed smile as she gently stroked his hair; Shuu was gazing at them bored, puffing from time to time and imagining him and Mary in their place; Kou had managed to find Lucy in the crowd of people and had reached her to chat with her, unwittingly relieved that she was fine; Yuuma raised an eyebrow at seeing his brother laughing with the girl, grinning and then walking around, looking at everywhere and especially at Anna's bandaged shoulder; Ayato was sitting on a rocky ledge used as a bench, next to Yui whose waist was wrapped protectively by his arms, sulking at her attention lingering on anything but him.

And as finally she leaned her head against his shoulder sighing and making him slightly blush, but happy, the vampire clicked his tongue annoyed at seeing Ellen approach them, smiling and glancing at her sister's old sword in Yui's hands.

\- I see that Anna gave you her first combat companion - she said quietly - But the lessons she gave you about how to handle the sword were somebody else's idea.

Yui blinked, confused, and the blonde in front of her giggled.

\- It was Mark's idea, he had told me about it a few days ago; I could have done it but, being quite busy with my work and seeing that Anna was making friends with you, I thought she was better suited to teach you. If you want to thank Mark, just think about it - she winked - That _sweetie pie_ is very shy, especially when he receives words of gratitude and appreciation - she said and walked away, looking for and reaching her sister Angela who was scolding a group of guys further away.

\- So it's all that pink head's fault? - Ayato muttered, curling his lips.

\- Ayato-kun! - the girl gave him a scolding look – Don't speak as if he has done something bad; it was very kind of him...! - she bit her lips and looked down, a bit bitter.

\- Hey, _Chichinashi_... w-what's wrong with you? - he asked, taken aback by that reaction, straightening up and putting his hands on her shoulders.

\- I don't like being weak, Ayato-kun... - Yui murmured, her eyes tearing - I became a vampire, but I feel _it's not enough_... and I don't want to always depend on you! - she confessed before he could protest, then looked at him sadly - I want to be stronger... _to help others_... - she sighed again and crouched her head against his chest, leaving him speechless and troubled.

\- I wonder where Mary-senpai is... - she whispered after a while, changing the subject, worried; Ayato shrugged, assuming she was somewhere with Ryan to face other demonic creatures or hunters.

\- They should be back at any moment, though - a voice snapped, making them jump and turn toward the owner of the voice: they widened their eyes as they saw a big black wolf with dark eyes staring intensely at them.

\- _Ari-sensei_! - Anna exclaimed; she had already interrupted the cleansing of her katana because of Yuuma, sitting next to her to poke teasingly at her shoulder, laughing and rubbing his arm hit by some of her punches.

The vampires, attracted by his voice, were surprised at seeing the wolf transform into his human form and Ari stretched his neck and arms, walking in the middle of them.

\- Has none of you received news from _Cho-hime_ and Ryan? – he asked narrowing his eyes on the four witches, the two female vampires and the wizard, and then let out an irritated sigh in receiving a negative answer - And Morten? - he looked at Finn, who shook her head, concerned by her brother's absence – Where's Mark?

\- I think he's still downstairs, with Kanato-kun... - Theo replied, his usual smile slightly crippled by a resentful grimace, since he was referring to the basement with cells for eventual prisoners or those whose powers had escaped their control and made them insane; that is, where they had temporarily locked up Rose.

Isa shuddered visibly at hearing him and nibbled her fingers, watched by a worried Subaru, while Claire's disturbing face leaked hatred, so that Laito felt the urge to move a few centimetres away from her, though feeling a shiver of excitement running through his spine; Anna gritted her teeth and returned to her shoulder, carefully cleaning the hilt and ignoring the questioning glance of the giant still next to her.

Ari had meanwhile raised an eyebrow.

\- Kanato-kun...? - he glanced at Ayato and Laito, remembering her was their triplet - Why is he _also_ downstairs?

The vampires exchanged glances and took on annoyed expressions, some full of disgust.

\- Oh. _I don't wanna know_ \- Ari shook his head.

Suddenly a powerful scream of despair made the shelter tremble, then dropped to a chilling silence.

Ari, at first stiff as the others, turned to look at Theo, whose wide-open green eyes confirmed his suspicion: that voice belonged to Mark; they both got up and went down the hallway and then down the stairs to the floor below.

* * *

\- Mark?! _Mark_! - Mr Flyer called his son, gently shaking his shoulders, kneeling in front of his figure crouched on itself, head in his hands and eyes full of tears falling copiously.

The half-wizard kept on moaning, suffering, and murmured monosyllables without being able to formulate a clear sentence.

Kanato turned his attention to the two, tilting his head and murmuring to Teddy that they were behaving strangely, as well as considering that the scream had been really _loud_ , more than _annoying_ : that floor's rock had crumbled on the surface, so much that some dust and some fragments had fallen; in addition, the magic bars behind which Rose had been locked up, wrapped in enchanted sheets for greater security, had moved and got some dents.

\- Mark! - this time it was Theo who called him, as he hurried down the stairs to reach, almost slipping, and crouch next to his friend, rubbing his back with his hand and trying to reassure him; Ari came a little later, slowing his step, out of breath, and looking at the boy's father questioningly.

\- As soon as we have finished locking her up - he explained, pointing at the girl-zombie who looked at them coldly and motionless as a statue - He yelled and... – he looked at his son with bitterness and concern in his eyes - _he started crying_.

Ari rubbed his forehead and knelt, on the opposite side of Theo, and put a hand on Mark's head, after taking off his wool cap: he muttered some soothing spells and finally, the half-wizard pulled a deep breath, stopped crying and just sobbed occasionally.

\- Markucchi, what's wrong? - his friend asked, squeezing his hand and smiling with eyebrows bent out of anxiety.

The boy's dull eyes tried to mirror themselves in the other's green irises.

\- _Mo-senpai_... - he whispered in a faint voice.

Theo stiffened.

* * *

Mary straddled her bike; she adjusted her protective goggles, letting their rubber band snap against her head, and waved to Ryan, ready to go: the zombie-boy nodded, standing on a cloud of shadows on which Morten's body and the Dragon's head were laying on, wrapped in ribbons of shade to ensure that they didn't drop during the trip.

Both departed, taking different paths: the goal was to let the body of their dead friend and the Dragon's head arrive unharmed at the shelter, without any impediments; Ryan would have hardly attracted the attention of the enemies thanks to his silent movements, obscured by shadows, in the middle of the forest.

The half-witch, with the roar of her motorcycle and a heap of shadow in the cape used as a false Dragon's head, would have been more likely to attract any enemies and distract them from the main objective, deceiving them.

Of course they both hoped they wouldn't clash with any hostile entity: Mary was tired, both physically and psychologically, and Ryan simply wanted to go back to the shelter and be with all their comrades.

While Mary was driving at full speed, her thoughts focused on Morten, on what they had lived together: his reproaches to Mark to be more attentive to what he was saying, their bickering about her snooping, his nerves throbbing at seeing Theo's smile twenty-four hours a day; she recalled his first expression of great regret, about a year and a half before, because of the attack that had caused the death of all the twins' peers and those of a year and two older.

Then, Rose had killed Ryan who otherwise would have been the only survivor of his peers, and Mary had killed the traitor, so that Morten had remained the only survivor among the comrades of his age, the twins and Theo of those who were about seventeen years old at that time... and, after _senpai_ 's dearth, only the three of them remained.

The half-witch felt her eyes stinging with tears, and because she was driving, she drove away all those thoughts to focus on the path that was starting to get tortuous, so she slowed down a little; however, it wasn't enough to avoid tipping over when an unidentified entity arrived in the middle of the road.

She would have forgot how many somersaults in the air and on the ground she did, but she certainly would have remembered for a long time the agonizing pain in her back, as she rolled through the bushes and finally stopped; she had been lucky she hadn't slammed against the trees, but with a completely fractured vertebral column, a broken tibia bone and dislocated wrists, it wouldn't have hurt her worse. All she had to do was to wait for a few minutes to regenerate.

She noticed that the glasses' left lens had shattered and thanked God that at least her eye hadn't been pierced by its fragments, which perhaps had dispersed further back.

She saw her dear little butterflies, who had remained quietly behind being not as fast as her bike, darting towards herself and she almost made a sarcastic comment, but her voice died in her throat: in front of her there was that demonic creature she'd faced with Ryan and thought to be knocked out; she was about to command those tiny fluttering creatures to attack it, when her conscience yelled that it _was able to tame flames_.

They would have been easily burned; it was then that she realized that she was undoubtedly in _grave danger_ : as when she had dealt with the first mysterious entities she met as a child, with Claire's parents, with _Miriandola Bluetta_ , with Rose, at that moment Mary _felt fear overcome her_.

 _MARK!_

The demonic monster gathered around itself tongues of fire, directing them towards her, who widened her eyes to see them ever closer, ever brighter, ever warmer; she watched with dismay her butterflies automatically form a protective shield in front of her...

... _and burn like hundreds and hundreds of sheets of coloured paper_.

Her voice remained buried in her throat and her eyes teared; the shock had made her breathless and the physical pain almost imperceptible for a while: her life companions were dying, one after the other.

 _MARK! MARK! MARK!_

Only her thoughts were screaming as the flames finally reached her; she closed her eyes instinctively, but suddenly felt a body above her to prevent the fire from devouring her, although she perceived a burning pain coming from her left eye.

She opened the eye still protected by the lens, to see the _unmistakable lilac of a feathered scarf_.

\- N... No... - albeit weak and hoarse, her voice finally came out, full of anguish.

\- Mary-chan... - Ryan whispered, his spirit still present in his corpse that was burning rapidly, so, before returning to the Hereafter as he got deprived of his body, he hurried to add something; he seemed to stop for a moment and reconsider.

He lifted his head a little, so that she could see his _bitter smile_ , but not his _eyes full of love_.

\- _I wish you to be happy with Shuu-san_.

* * *

Lily decapitated the demonic creature with a quick blow, using her _kusarigama_ , a sickle-shaped Japanese weapon, cleaning the blade with the cloak she was wearing; she fixed her glasses on place with a swift gesture of her hand and approached her sister, seated next to Morten's body, with the Dragon's head wrapped in her coat and clasped in her arms: she was silently crying with her face resting on it.

\- _Lily-neesan_... - sobbed, then pronouncing Theo's name in a high-pitched tone.

\- Poor Finn-chan... - the other murmured, staring at the lifeless blond, sad.

She turned her gaze to her left, walking in the same direction and stopping to pick up something small on the ground that had caught her attention with a barely perceptible movement: she bent over and, widening her vermilion iris, picked up a suffering green butterfly with wings half burnt that quivered weakly, occasionally.

\- _Mary_... - she heard Mr Flyer's deep voice murmuring, two feet away.

After dispelling all those flames upon his arrival, the man had rescued his daughter, respectfully pulling back what was left of Ryan's charred corpse, and had picked her up and held her in his arms, caressing her face.

\- _Dad_... - she replied in a choked voice, clearly on the brink of tears.

Her father nodded, squeezing her and standing up.

The half-witch's good eye closed; Mary fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	41. Chapter 40

_Chapter 41_

For once in her life, Mary's sleep was only a succession of dark shades of blue, as if she were deep into the abyss of an ocean, occasionally interrupted by a red flash coming from the left; she floated with her body relaxed and her mind empty of every thought: she remembered just her name, nothing else, enjoying the peace around her.

And yet, the more she began to sink into the deep purple and dark depths, the more she began to hear in her mind the echo of some voices, more and more familiar; she felt something making its way through her heart, as if she was realizing that had been deprived of something very important: _life_.

At last, she recognized who were calling her, who screamed, who cried, who laughed.

* * *

She opened her eyes, or rather, her eye, slowly, as if it had been a morning like usual; with the difference that she was laying in a supine position, but with her head turned on the right side: she saw only the white pillow, smelling of soap and disinfectant, a small part of the room where she was... and what she thought being a tuft of golden straw.

She wondered why she saw darkness from her left eye, trying to close one eye and keeping the other open, before considering that maybe _that wasn't straw_ , but strands of blond hair; she sensed a body lying next to her own, with his arms wrapped around her waist, his head crouched against her neck and his breath tickling her skin.

\- Shuu... – she tried to call him; a thin, shrill voice came out, almost a whistle.

The vampire was still able to hear it and moved a little abruptly compared to his usual calm slowness: the half-witch turned her head to look up at the face of the handsome blond who had raised on his arms, raising one to caress her cheek; in his ocean-coloured eyes she saw worry, relief, and _bitterness_ mixed with _fright_.

\- _Little wren_ \- he murmured in a low, cracked tone from that very mix of emotions.

A door opened and closed, followed by the sound of footsteps hastening towards them.

\- She woke up? - Mary recognized Theo, anxious and impatient, and from the corner of her eye saw him appear on her right - _Cho-hime_...! – he smiled and only then the girl realized that his eyes were swollen and his _lips chapped_.

The wizard lips would get chapped only whenever he was experiencing intense suffering because of an unpleasant event; the half-witch thought about what could have been the reason and finally all her memories were chronologically rearranged, mercilessly.

She jumped up just to come back down due to stabbing pain in her body.

\- Don't move... you're still in the process of regenerating - Shuu told her, settling himself on the edge of the bed and placing his hands on her shoulders; despite the stern voice, his expression remained the same and Theo almost folded the corners of his mouth in a bitter grimace, so that the usual smile seemed even more forced and tragic.

\- _Cho-hime_... - he called her, trying to comfort her; after all, only he and Mark could understand and share the pain, for both the loss of Morten and Ryan's sacrifice.

\- _I'm no longer the Butterfly Princess_ \- Mary hissed sourly, turning away, feeling herself strangled by a lump in her throat and her eyes stinging from the tears that had gotten ready to gush out again.

The two boys exchanged a look, not surprised by her reaction; the friend sighed and looked at her with compassion, as the vampire leaned over to the nightstand to pick up something.

\- Actually, _one survived_ \- he revealed, making her turn with wide and disbelieving eye.

In the palm of his cupped hand, a small green butterfly slammed its partially non-existent wings slowly; the little creature quivered, suffering and dying: the girl felt her lips tremble at her little friend's sight, and gave Theo a pleading look to help her sit up.

With a bit of effort and a lot of pain along her limbs and spine (and with Elena's certain and terrifying reproach afterwards), Mary leaned back against the head of the bed; she managed to look around and recognize that it was one of the few single rooms of the shelter's infirmary and also glimpsed at her body: it was completely wrapped in bandages from neck to toe, and only the blanket provided additional coverage of her curves, in addition to a band of fabric for the chest. She deduced that even her left eye had been bandaged properly, due to the burn.

At that moment she didn't pay much attention to her demureness, though she would have probably done so in other circumstances, since there were just Shuu, her husband, and Theo, her best friend who had always looked at women _just at their face_ , including her, if not strictly necessary; her attention was completely focused on the little butterfly that the vampire had gently slipped from his hand to hers, observing the little creature with so much love and sadness.

After a few minutes that seemed hours of silence, she asked:

\- How's _Ficchan_...?

She heard Theo inhale deeply and exhale abruptly, brushing his hair with an uncertain gesture: he murmured that the tiny witch had remained beside her brother all night, his head on her lap and stroking his hair with a vitreous look, almost _mechanically_ ; Mary's breath trembled, rubbing her neck instinctively to suppress another lump in her throat.

It was at that moment she noticed a detail that didn't seem right, among the many that she had yet to see: her fingers slipped behind, brushing her hair and grabbing a lock, along which the fingertips slipped for a very short distance, meeting the vacuum just a little over her shoulders.

She widened her eyes, pointing them at the two males who couldn't help but look away, unable to say it aloud; the girl with trembling hands brushed her hair, confirming that they were _short_ : they had probably got burnt in the flames of that demonic creature, but certainly they had also been cut for a best possible appearance.

\- Elena-san fixed them while bandaging your abdomen... - Theo spoke, who jumped on his seat saying that he had to warn her about his friend's awakening.

In the meantime, Mary had another alarming question, touching her stomach.

\- _The_...? – she was about to ask, interrupted by Shuu who held her hands in his.

 _\- It's all right, miraculously._

The half-witch sighed out of relief, dropping her head against the vampire's shoulder, who wrapped her in his embrace, cradling her; the wizard sketched a smile, looking at them, and took his leave, warning that he would informed Elena.

Meanwhile, sobs, muffled shouts and comforting whispers echoed in the room.

* * *

Elena explained that Mary had superficial burns on her arms, on a part of her left side and a little more consistent burn on her left eye; after removing the bandages on her face after those on her body, examined by touch, the woman couldn't hide a bitter and slightly sorry expression: her eyelids had merged together in the outer corner and the skin around it was slightly wrinkled, red and dry.

\- Can you see…?

Mary closed her right eye and fell silent for a moment, making her stiffen with terror and exhale an exasperated sigh as she shook her head, denying; Elena burst into tears, covering her face with shaky hands.

\- I should be the one crying... - the half-witch smiled bitterly, and widened her eyes as soon as she was hugged by the doctor's.

She raised a hand slowly, giving her gentle pats on her back, while she heard her sob softly, yet visibly trembling; she waited until she had completely exhausted herself for ten minutes (and she didn't complain, after all she herself had just spent half an hour crying with Shuu) and listened to the few last things about her health.

\- As for your lung, I managed to create two blends, which must be taken one after the other to perform their function without problems... I had entrusted them to Martha and Lily, but since you were almost unconscious... – she pulled out of her white shirt pocket two vials, giving them to the girl – They should be able to delay the artificial lung's failure... hoping that within this short time we'll find another solution. This is al... ah.

Elena looked at her with her eyes tearing again.

\- Mary-chan, your hair...

\- Don't worry - the half-witch smiled, brushing her hair - There are more important things... and then I was used to keeping them short...

"I would let them _grow up_ , Mary-chan".

The girl closed her eyes and lowered her head, cracking a bitter and sweet smile.

 _Rest in peace, Ryan..._

\- How's the situation? - she asked, looking up at the woman, who couldn't hold back a grimace of surprise at Mary's sudden determination.

She informed her that the Dragon's head and Isa herself were safe in a sealed room guarded by some of the most powerful young men, besides Mr Ari, and also mentioned that Subaru had insisted on staying nearby, saying that it was a quieter area (Mary held back an amused smile); Mark was resting in another infirmary room, exhausted from the uninterrupted and painful crying, and Theo and Martha were keeping him company; Claire, Anna and Finn were sleeping in the shelter's main hall like everyone else (so the half-witch deduced that it was still night), and Azusa, Yuuma, Kou, Laito, Ayato and Yui were with them, stating that the latter had been very worried about her; she revealed Kanato had apparently developed some interest in Rose (she swore that it wasn't a joke as she saw the girl's empty gaze), adding that she was controlled by Lily and Mr Flyer, who would have come soon to visit her; Ruki and Reiji had been called to get messages delivered by Karlheinz, having already slept enough, considering that a few hours of rest were enough for them.

\- I saw them half an hour ago while they were discussing... from what I understood, it seems that chaos has crushed the Demon World. What's worse, the portals are suddenly opened, even those communicating with other dimensions... so I think it's very likely that a disaster will soon happen, a war... a mini-Apocalypse - Elena explained jokingly, sitting on the bed's edge.

Mary gazed at her face, reflecting on what had been reported to her, and she noticed from the bags under her eyes how much the doctor was _tired_.

\- Do you have news about my mother...? – she asked, getting out of the bed and ignoring the woman's protests to lie down again and rest some more.

\- She must be cooperating with Karlheinz - she replied, unsure of her hypothesis, as she looked confused at the girl who was looking around the room - Do you need anything, Mary-chan?

\- Clothes, I can't go with this hospital shirt.

Elena jumped up.

\- No! You can't go in these conditions! - she disagreed, approaching her.

\- Elena-sensei, _I'm fine_ \- Mary looked at her firmly, frowning so that strange folds formed around her left eye - My priority is to take the Dragon's head back to its body.

The woman tried again to reply back, but the words died in her throat: how could she contradict her? _She had lost so much_... _yet she wanted to move on_ ; she sighed bitterly and rubbed her forehead, murmuring that they needed to plan something to move the Dragon's head possibly without obstacles, they needed people to accompany her, and she was unsure of what powers she now had without the poor butterflies, and she kept on mentioning, one after the other, all her worries, until the half-witch stopped her.

\- Elena-sensei... _I already know what to do_.

* * *

Shuu, after leaving his wife alone with the doctor, had gone out and settled quietly on the ground, with his back against the rock wall where it was smoother, putting the earphones to his ears and relaxing: he knew he would have had to "move his ass" soon (why was he recalling Laito's female version's words so much, _why_ ) for _God only knew_ what, thus it was worth taking advantage of the little peaceful time he still had.

In confirmation of his suspicions, just before Mary came out of that room, he felt a shiver running over his back and an annoying buzz replacing the orchestra in his eardrums: someone, certainly his beloved, was talking about him.

As soon as the door had been opened, the half-witch stopped in front of him.

\- Shuu... I have something to tell you.

 _I already don't like this "something" at all_ , the blond commented in his head, sighing annoyed and looking up at her, a little surprised: she had redone her usual two braids on the left side of her face, although shorter, and she had changed into a pair of grey jeans, a black wool turtleneck and a blue jacket full of pockets that she was filling with various things given by Elena, perplexed; her eyes shone with determination.

He smirked and stood up, ready to complain.

\- Don't tell me I have to come with you... - he grumbled, brushing his hair.

\- Don't complain - Mary scolded him, pinching his nose – _You'll have to move a lot more after I will give birth_!

Shuu remained silent for half a minute, before swallowing.

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	42. Chapter 41

_Chapter 41_

\- Mary-senpai... are you really sure you want to go _now_?!

The half-witch smiled, looking at Isa's anxious face, who was tightly holding her arms, almost pulling her towards her; Subaru was looking at them unconvinced, rubbing his nape, while Shuu yawned, still with a bothered grimace, and Mark quietly swayed on the spot, his eyes still swollen and red after crying a lot.

\- Isacchi, it has to be now... let's say I suddenly feel powerful - Mary giggled, ruffling her hair affectionately.

Isa curled her lips and lowered her head, apparently surrendering to her decision; suddenly she jerked her head up and, clutching her skirt in her hands, yelled:

\- I'M COMING WITH YOU!

Silence.

\- It doesn't seem a good ide...

\- I'm coming with you, I'm coming with you, _I'M COMING WITH YOU_! - she protested, shaking her head violently, making the two vampires think of her like a whimsical child.

Mary raised her hand and opened her mouth to try and reply again, but, seeing Isa's determined gaze, she let out an amused snort and accepted; Subaru jumped and exclaimed that he would have joined them as well: Shuu gave him a mischievous sneer, making him blush and mumble it was only because he was curious about the Dragon.

\- Shall we go? - Shuu muttered, bored - I want it to end quickly.

\- You could just move your _ass_ back to the shelter- the albino frowned at him.

The blond blinked and gave him an indecipherable look.

\- What do you all have against my rear...?

Mary bit her lips to hold back a laugh and patted both of them, urging them to proceed along the path to the lake (where the Dragon was supposed to be); Isa immediately clung to Subaru's arm, making him blush and stutter.

The half-witch and the other vampire exchanged a knowing look, smiling at the couple behind them, unaware of Mark's sulky grimace, still slightly jealous.

Suddenly, Ruki called:

\- _Izanami_.

They all turned to him, Shuu glaring at him and wrapping an arm around his wife's waist; at this reaction, the vampire looked at him amused and turned again to Mary, who was looking at him curiously to know what he wanted.

\- I promised to the Glass Lady that I'll protect you. So you can't refuse my request to join you - he said with a serious tone.

\- There's no need... - the blond was about to say, annoyed, but was interrupted by the girl who nodded with a smile.

\- All right, Ki-kun.

Shuu widened his eyes and protested, following her as she ignored him, shaking her head and pinching his nose from time to time; the albino and the witch also followed them, as Ruki turned for a second to stare at Mark, standing still, as if he was waiting for someone to come.

And in fact, Yui ran out of the shelter's exit, shouting to wait for her, and behind her an annoyed Ayato Mr. Flyer, Laito and Claire also appeared, the couple with their fingers intertwined; before anyone could add anything else, Shuu grumbled at everyone to hurry up: evidently he was already missing lying in a quiet place, the _poor_ boy.

The neo-vampire quickly reached the half-witch, grabbing her hands in hers and begging her to let her come with them: she looked as if she had just woken up from a nightmare, judging by her terrified eyes, goose bumps on her quivering arms; Subaru, at her words, raised an eyebrow and Shuu rubbed his neck unconvinced.

\- You'd be a hindrance, as weak as you are - the latter muttered, receiving a glare from both his wife and his megalomaniac brother.

Subaru nodded and was about to add something when Yui herself suddenly teleported in front of him and punched him right in the face, flooring everyone except Mark, who smiled, and Mr Flyer.

\- I'm not weak! - she said, clasping her hands on the cape she was wearing, then panicked as looked from one brother to the other, stammering that she had hit the wrong person, having wanted to aim at the blond.

Silence fell, interrupted by Yui's apologizing and the albino's painful and surprised moans, whom Isa assisted, although cracking a smile; Ayato put his hands on his girlfriend's shoulders, laughing and approving that gesture, proud of her, then holding her to him and murmuring something in her ear that made her blush and squeal embarrassed; Shuu and Ruki refrained from giggling in front of Subaru's slightly bruised nose, who glared at Laito that was mocking him by asking him if he understood what the poor walls felt whenever punched by his powerful fist.

Mr Flyer cleared his throat and went over to the little group, nodding his head to the vampires and holding out four swords, each with a different hilt, scabbard and blade.

\- They might turn useful - he just murmured, briefly explaining the characteristics of each, so that the four young men could choose the one that most inspired each of them.

Meanwhile, Laito and Claire had approached Mary to hug her and kiss her cheeks, both at the same time, causing her to blush because of the sudden gesture; Shuu's eye twitched at that scene, while choosing his weapon, and he wasn't the only one: Mark had puffed up his cheeks, sulking as always jealous of his beloved sister.

\- Be careful, _Micchan_ ~ Fufu - the vampire exclaimed cheerfully.

\- Yeah - Claire said, touching her belly to mention the life that was developing inside and then putting her hand on hers, and winked – _They'll become good friends like us_ , _right_?

Her friend blinked a little, confused, then widened her eyes in disbelief and grabbed the half-demon's shoulders who chuckled as she turned to Laito, amused by her reaction (although he had noticed a veil of uncertainty in her eyes...), and back to her, with a smile widening more and more on her lips.

\- _Let's go_?

Mary snorted: it was better to leave immediately before Shuu's mood worsened...

* * *

\- I have no good memories of undergrounds - Subaru muttered grimly, recalling the escape from the mansion when they had been advised of the hunters in town.

The other vampires couldn't disagree with those words; Isa was looking at them a little curious, as Yui sighed with a nervous smile and Mary shrugged, telepathically communicating something with Mark, next to each other to support the Dragon's head wrapped in a large enchanted cloth: the blood, which mysteriously kept on flowing, would have remained inside without losing a single drop, otherwise risking to cause damage to someone.

\- Don't worry, Subaru-kun, this passage is much shorter than it looks - the little girl smiled, squeezing his arm.

The albino stammered something about leaving his limb, then surrendered.

\- We've been walking for an hour - Ruki said coldly, followed by Shuu's annoyed snort.

Isa chuckled unsettled by the vampire's glare and murmured that they were close to the exit; Ayato asked if it wasn't a little strange that they hadn't been attacked yet by any enemy, evidently bored: his brothers and the Mukami glared at him, preferring to avoid such obstacles as much as possible.

\- If no one has detected anything unusual, there are no problems - Mary said.

\- Still, let's be cautious - Mark whispered, focused on the surrounding sounds - We wouldn't want them to have an ace up their sleeve more powerful than all of us...

\- Even more than Karlheinz-sama's sons? - Isa asked a little perplexed and before Ayato could reply, proudly, the half-witch had already answered her.

\- Even the weakest, if extraordinarily clever, could behead Shuu.

The blond arched an eyebrow and shook his head, chuckling, though partly agreeing with his wife's statement; Ruki also nodded and Subaru mumbled something, frowning, as Ayato protested and cursed.

They stopped as soon as the subterranean tunnel suddenly trembled, accompanied by heavy thuds, louder and louder and then gradually fainter, making them stiffen and sharpen their senses; Yui combed her hair with her fingers, shaking off a small pile of dust that had fallen on her, while Mark murmured that, from what he had heard a dozen meters above their heads, it had probably been a creature whose name wasn't grasped.

\- The _clanptocler-what_? - exclaimed Ayato with eyebrows bent in a confused grimace.

\- _Klamptoteklerunzay_ \- Mary repeated, sighing nostalgically - One of my first objects of study... – she sighed again.

 _And source of trouble_ , Shuu thought, yawning and not paying much attention to the long explanation his wife gave about that creature living in the thickest and darkest forests and often exploited for purposes opposed to its peaceful yet easily malleable nature, and for this reason it often lived half its long existence (a few hundred years).

Subaru asked how big it was to cause so much commotion; as Isa recalled from her school books it was about twenty meters long, they all focused on finding efficient comparisons to properly figure these dimensions, most of them a little impressed. In particular, Ayato wondered _what_ _it fed on_.

Mary sighed and rubbed her forehead, brushing her hair and then glancing at Mark, with whom she began a brief telepathic chat; after a few seconds the twin nodded and, after laying the Dragon's head on the ground, under the others' curious (and slightly annoyed) eyes he seemed to disappear, moving to some unknown place at the speed of sound.

\- Let's go on - the girl said, then motioning for Yui to approach her to help her carry the Dragon's head.

The blonde, happy to be useful, came up and lifted the other end of the towel and realized how little and nothing the poor creature's head weighed: amazed, she chatted about it with her friend, every now and then also listening to Isa, having a better knowledge as the priestess; at one point, the little witch mentioned something about a dimension and, while exiting that underground passage, Yui stopped, widening her eyes.

Mary glanced at her curiously and motioned for the others to continue, staying aloof with the vampire and asking her if she had anything to tell her: with her pink eyes slightly frightened, she revealed that she had dreamed of being in a surreal space, with her feet on a surface that looked like water, and above her head a hovering dome consisting only of the foundations that rested on a drum, or rather a sort of corridor with a circular structure; she had slumped against a bare tree's protruding roots, which had begun to flourish and fill with leaves, and among the branches she had seen a large red apple.

Yui took a deep breath and went on: she had picked the apple and suddenly the tree had begun to lose its leaves and to rot slowly; then, she had been swallowed by the water beneath her, as if a sea trench had been suddenly created.

Mary blinked, thinking, and murmured that it didn't look so terrifying to her, considering how scared her friend was; the latter nodded.

\- But... inside of me... I felt a _very strong unease_... And that's not all!

\- Eh? - the other exclaimed, surprised.

\- You suddenly appeared in my dream: at one point, I knew how to swim and I saw you float unconscious in the water... so I came to rescue you... and, once emerged, that building was collapsing... the tree had been uprooted and underneath there was the Dragon's head! And it was bleeding _a lot_... - she murmured with her trembling voice.

The half-witch widened her eyes.

 _You know what that means, don't you, Aneki?_

 _It'll be... all in vain..._

She sighed and brushed her hair in a gesture of despair; Yui grabbed her hands, squeezing them.

\- What shall we do…? - she whispered.

Suddenly they heard a roar.

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	43. Chapter 42

_Chapter 42_

The roar came from the area where the shelter was located, meaning it had been attacked; Mary immediately felt her heart in her throat, even though she knew that the protective barriers would have worked against the offense for a certain period of time.

At the same time, she had perceived negative vibes getting more intense: demonic creatures were approaching their position; the vampires had also realized the imminent danger and had placed their hand on theirs swords' hilt, ready to unsheathe them, except Subaru who had just lined up in front of Isa, alert and frowning.

Mary had telepathically called her twin, clutching the grip on the hem of the cloth wrapped around the Dragon's head: he had confirmed her that, thanks to his fine hearing, the shelter had been attacked and she was surprised when her brother added that he had heard the Yuuma, Kou and Azusa's voices along with girls and all of their companions' ones, who were busy facing their enemies; a small smile appeared on her lips for a short time (she guessed that Reiji and Laito were making a contribution in their own way, and that Kanato was still in the dungeons to keep an eye on Rose).

\- Mary! - she heard Shuu calling her, alarmed.

The half-witch just noticed in a sphere of fire (she had had enough of flames...) darting towards her: she dodged it jumping to the side, only to feel her waist grasped to lift and quickly move her away, at last finding herself with her feet on the ground and in her husband's arms; Yui had teleported herself with the Dragon's head in her arms, holding it with difficulty because of its weight, and Ayato had moved behind her, pointing the sword at one of the dozens of dreadful beings that had surrounded them.

\- Here I am - Mark "appeared" suddenly beside his sister, perceiving the intense look she gave him; he slightly smiled.

Their eyes faded to silver and their hair to white (though it wasn't possible to see it with his dyed pink hair) and, a few centimetres below their left earlobe, the three moles resembling a black clover had faded into a red poppy and branches of purple filaments branched out of it, adorning their white skin with abstract motifs, in particular around their eyes like masks.

\- Are you preparing for a Carnival?! - Ayato joked sourly.

Mark darted to one of the monstrous creatures and, having developed small blades from his arm, he decapitated it. Then, he seemed to disappear before their eyes and in a short time another dozen found themselves headless; meanwhile, Mary had lowered herself to her knees and laid her hands on the damp grass, closing her eyes and focusing: as Mark eliminated the remaining enemies, millions of needles emerged from the ground, ever higher and more robust, expanding towards the wood.

Vampires heard moans of pain and noises of broken bones and pierced flesh, aware that other approaching enemies had been annihilated.

Ayato suddenly captured a movement behind him and promptly turned, unsheathing the sword that Mr Flyer had provided them: with a single precise slash he tore a hunter's chest diagonally and the opponent gave a harrowing cry of pain, falling to the ground.

The battle had began.

* * *

Yuuma snapped a man's neck with nonchalance, disturbing the little girl he had just saved; she stammered a frightened thanks and, staring at him in fear, rose to her feet to run to her companions who were trying in every way to keep the barrier active, some repairing the holes that some enemies had cause while trying pass through.

The giant snorted and shrugged his shoulders at that reaction, looking around for some familiar face: he twisted his mouth as soon as he saw a long blond braid, whose owner was piercing a small annoying demon, which disintegrated into a cloud of purple powder reaching the girl's eyes and causing her an intense itch. The vampire laughed at seeing her swear and rub her eyes, and a fraction of a second later he widened his eyes.

An creature with prominent and bizarre-shaped horns appeared behind the witch, ready to kill her.

\- _GOLDILOCKS_!

Before Anna could insult him, she saw him appear in front of her, still in a blurred way, and she blushed at feeling an arm wrapped around her waist; she heard a sound of broken bones behind her and a grunt of pain: Yuuma had just twisted the demon's arm, fracturing its radius and ulna, and with a quick gesture he threw it to the ground.

Finn came jumping over the enemy and she destroyed its rib cage with a fist.

\- Are you all right? – the tiny girl asked, impassively gazing on the two.

\- Good job, _dwarf_ \- the giant giggled, raising his thumb in a gesture of approval, then lowering his face to the witch in his arms and blinking, confused.

The young woman in question had a very red face, tight lips, eyes wide open: her hands were resting on his chest, in an attempt to pull away, but seemed to have been... _captivated_ by the pectorals her fingertips were touching just above the thin fabric covering them; after all, the last physical contact she had ever had with a male had been kissing her father's cheek when she was seven years old.

The vampire was baffled for a few seconds, then grinned.

\- Mh... your ass is not bad, I could even like yo-

\- _DON'T GET ANY STRANGE IDEAS_ , _YOU DAMN VAMPIRE_!

Yuuma admitted to himself that, besides having a nice butt, she surely knew how to punch...

* * *

\- Claire-chan~ - Laito wrinkled his lips as he tried to hold the half-demon under her.

\- Come on, Laito-kun~ I have to help my teammates, we'll have time to cuddle lat-!

The vampire threw himself on the lips of the purple-eyed girl with enthusiasm, shushing her and leaving her breathless; he rose and, at first smiling, he then took on an unusually serious expression and lowered himself to kiss her belly and caress it, resting his cheek on it, after lifting her tank top.

\- The little creature in here needs tranquillity~.

Claire looked at him slightly displaced by his attitude; then, a tender smile appeared on her lips, and she raised her hands to caress his reddish-brown hair.

\- _WOAH_! What are you doing here?! _How diiirty_ ~ - Kou shuddered between the horrified and the disgusted, appearing at the door of that isolated and dark room; behind him Azusa peeked out, impassive and nibbling on his finger, and Lucy, who covered her face, embarrassed.

Claire and Laito looked at them and exchanged a confused look, then burst out laughing; Kou gave them an irritated look and snorted, taking away the little brother and the little witch who was still stuttering to them that it wasn't the time to do _certain things_ and that they had to help everyone at that moment.

\- _Ops_ ~ - the two lovers exclaimed in unison.

* * *

Reiji and Lily looked at Martha with a tense expression: having volunteered to keep an eye on the communications, they had locked themselves in the room with all the devices to receive and send information via radio waves and other means; at that moment, they were talking to...

\- K- _Karlheinz-sama_... - the younger female vampire murmured in a faint voice; she wanted Theo to be there with her so much, he could have encouraged her with his carelessness! The wizard, however, was busy defending the shelter from the enemies.

The male breathed deeply and asked politely for the receiver to be given to him.

\- Father? Yes... _what_...?

His eyes widened: what did he mean by "We'll be there, but for a short time"? And who was the _other person_ with him?

* * *

\- _ISA-CHAN_!

The witch saw Yui dropping in front of her to shield her from a hunter's attack, receiving the violent blow straight on her head: Ayato yelled and proceeded to behead the man who had _dared_ to hurt his girlfriend, unconscious in Isa's trembling arms; the neo-vampire was bleeding from the head, awakening tremendous memories in the amber-eyed girl.

Subaru, after having slammed a demon against the tree and clawed his throat to death, had turned towards the girl only to stiffen on the spot, alarmed: along her skin were forming white lines, like Mark and Mary's ones, with geometric patterns; the half-witch realized what was happening and shouted to everyone to be careful.

Isa seemed to murmur something, almost in a state of trance, and finally let out a powerful and high-pitched cry; at the same time a rush of energy radiated from her throughout the surrounding area, causing everyone to lose balance: the witch powers caused thin layer of ice to appear and cover the whole area, thickening and trapping the enemies in fatal grips. Fortunately the vampires and the twins were safe.

Silence fell and the boys exchanged stunned looks; Subaru hurried to the girl and gently took her into his arms.

\- H-Hey! _Isa_?!

Ayato joined them, worried about Yui; meanwhile the others approached too, Mary bending down to retrieve the Dragon's head, Mark thoughtful, Shuu snorting annoyed and Ruki observing the two girls carefully: pausing on the witch, he considered that it wasn't the case to go on with them.

Mark nodded, agreeing with the vampire, and added:

\- It'd be better if I took you back to the shelter... Isa is too weak... And Yui-san too...

\- _No_ …! - was the sudden reaction of the latter, with a choked voice - I have to... go...

\- _Yui_ , _don't say bullshit_! In these conditions you can do no-... - Ayato replied, after having licked her wounds on the head with difficulty (it wasn't certainly easy with her hair).

\- _I MUST GO_! – she interrupted him, her voice hoarse and full of anguish.

Ayato looked at her, frowning and murmured she was crazy; other weak words came out of his girlfriend's lips about some duty, and she even pronounced _Izanami_ 's name.

Mary sighed loudly and stood up, raising the Dragon's head, helped by Shuu; as if in charge of a group of agents, she assigned each of them a task: Mark would have brought Isa and Subaru to the shelter and they would have remained there (of course the twin didn't approve of this), the others would have went on towards the lake.

After the half-wizard agreed to be teleported by the albino, the latter focused his eyes on them, hesitantly.

\- Good luck... - he whispered slightly, imperceptibly; disappeared.

Ayato stood up muttering something, not without glaring at the half-witch, and he put on the back the poor girlfriend who was whispering nonsense, feverish: the blow must have had stunned her a lot, putting her in a confusing state; shaking his head, Ruki wondered what had driven her to insist so much, considering it was really mad of her.

The group proceeded, taking care not to slip on the ice; they realized they weren't very far from the destination and in about ten minutes they arrived at the lake, clear and glowing due to the little creatures guarding that space surrounded by a curious combination of willows and firs; the vampires were amazed by those little feline-faced beings, with no hind legs, and with a light blue mantle made of something similar to a fluid, _ethereal_ substance.

Mary took a deep breath and exchanged a knowing look with Shuu: they both advanced and entered with their feet into the water, proceeding carefully until they plunged with the water reaching their knees, then their thighs, then their belly; Ruki was looking, strangely tense, almost aware that something unexpected would have happened soon; Ayato had stopped at the shore, gently laying the girl's body and bathing her head with the lake's water, which miraculously healed her wounds and made her regain her senses with a few drops poured into her mouth.

Rising, Yui blinked, meeting his vampire's relieved face and smiling gently at him; suddenly, as if seized by a terrible omen, she suddenly raised her back and looked around, focusing her attention on the two immersed in the lake up to their elbows.

\- MARY-SENPAI! Shuu-SAN! _COME BACK_!

At first hesitantly, Mary felt a strange sensation coming from below, around her legs, as if the water was boiling: Shuu held his breath as he saw the water become dark and more viscous, resembling the consistency of mud; they both let out a gasp as soon as they realized they were being sucked into it. The half-witch clutched the Dragon's head in her arms, desperate and unable to formulate solutions in her head, taken aback; _unconsciously_ , Ruki, Ayato and Yui joined them by instinct, in an attempt to help them escape: they were also stuck and they all were slowly swallowed up.

Everything became black, but only for a few seconds.

* * *

 _Aneki... it hurts... it hurts..._

 _Where are you_

 _AneKI_

 _I DON'T HEAR YOur thoughtS_

 _ONLY YOUR SCREAMS IN YOUR DREAMS_

 _wakE UP_

 _IT HUR-_

* * *

Yui woke up with a spasm, feeling with her hands the surface on which she was laying, moist and palpable; she turned her head to the right and left, in the first case noticing the Ayato, still unconscious, and in the second the Shuu's back, confused at seeing that his blue cardigan was clean, though they had been trapped in that mysterious slime. She raised her bust by leaning on her elbows, examined herself and the others, finding Mary next to the blond and Ruki in front of her: no one had got dirty; she deduced that it was just an misleading expedient to move them to that place...

Her eyes widened in horror as soon as she realized where they were: it was the same place she had dreamt, that infinite and surreal expanse of water where they didn't sink; she looked up and saw that dome hovering above them, _sinister_ , furrowed by several cracks, and at last she turned and found the poor, withering tree, behind which was a huge figure curled up, covered with celestial and opaque scales.

\- The Dragon…! - the vampire exclaimed in a choked voice, placing her hands in front of her mouth in a gesture of dismay; she shook her head and trembled, looking for the poor creature's head.

 _Where is it?!_

\- Mary-senpai, Mary-senpai...! - the blonde reached the half-witch and crouched next to her, shaking her and continuing to call her.

The girl squeezed her eyes and opened them slowly, dazed and slightly sweaty, as if she had lived some nightmare before awakening; in the meantime, the other vampires were also regaining consciousness, Ayato and Ruki cautiously looking at the place, Shuu making sure that his wife hadn't been injured and helping her to stand up.

\- Mary-senpai, the head! _It's not here_! - Yui grabbed her arms in terror.

The vampires widened their eyes on her, baffled, and her friend looked at her in disbelief at first, then upset, looking around and lingering on the Dragon's body, and she walked towards it as Shuu advised her to stop, tense: the young woman perceived negative vibes coming from the same direction and halted to wait for the unknown individual to appear.

A few seconds later, from behind the reptilian being a man with short white hair appeared; he was slightly olive-skinned, had emerald-green eyes and little beard on his chin; he was wearing a large, richly decorated plum-coloured overcoat over his shirt.

Shuu seemed to let out a howl.

\- _Burai_... the _Demon Lord_...

Ayato's eyes widened: this meant he was Cordelia's father, that is _his own grandfather_?! He thought that his cousin was also his niece, then...

The demon smiled and looked at the red-haired vampire.

\- Mh, it's the first time meeting one of Cordelia's sons...

With eyes of the same shade of green, the two exchanged a look, the older one scornful and the younger one hostile.

Meanwhile the half-witch's dark iris were staring at Dragon's head that the man was holding by one of its horns, the dark green blood dripping on the expanse of water dyeing it momentarily and then fading; she swallowed and stepped steadily toward him, drawing his attention.

\- You are... - Burai narrowed his eyes with resentment; he would have never thought to see the daughter of the one who had left his family, the Demon royal dynasty, to follow her own values ... and he would have never thought that she would have become _Izanami_.

Mary stretched out her arm in front of her.

\- The Dragon's head, please. It must be returned.

 _"Grandpa"? Brrr, it sounds so bad..._

The man shook his head, letting out a short laugh, and he gave her an ironic look.

\- Oh, don't worry, my hybrid granddaughter: the Dragon will get his head back...

The girl felt a smile appearing on her lips, even if being called "hybrid" irritated her.

\- _Otherwise I won't be able to feed on it_.

The half-witch's mouth took on a twist of shock mixed with horror; Yui let out a horrified gasp, Ayato felt his eye twitch in recording and mentally replaying several times what he had just heard, Shuu and Ruki felt revulsion towards that man's words.

\- What's your plan? - the blond asked, standing in front of his wife, protective.

Burai looked at them, tilting his head, whispering nauseated that _Izanami_ had found as a companion one of the inept sons of _that repulsive man_.

\- Become the most powerful. You should know very well, as the first-born and heir of the Sakamaki family, that the a dragon's flesh bestows all its powers on the person who consumes them. _Only in this way I'll be able to defeat Karlheinz and possibly face the Tsukinami dynasty's survivors_! – the demon explained more and more vehemently, his eyes injected with blood and veiled by the irrational desire for power.

Ruki wondered why he hadn't already begun to feed on the poor Dragon, instead of waiting for his head; he then remembered that its blood and body, in that state, were cursed: the Demon Lord needed everything to be in order to achieve his goal.

\- That's why you have... _all this_...?! Do you have any idea of what you've caused?! - Mary clenched her fists, thinking of all the people who had died and were probably dying.

Burai laughed.

\- Think what you want, granddaughter; but everyone is free to do what is most convenient, don't you think so? I'm willing to do anything to take revenge on Karlheinz... _even damage the balance between dimensions and go back to my word about secular agreements_! – he hissed full of hatred and resentment towards the Vampire King, turning towards the Dragon's headless neck and about to attach the head to it while performing the apposite spell with the other hand.

\- _STOP_! - the half-witch rushed towards him only to be thrown by an invisible force, rolling on the ground in pain.

Shuu and Ruki helped her getting up, making sure she was uninjured; they saw Ayato unsheathe the sword and take the run-up towards his relative and, agitated, Yui screamed at him to stop: he was also hurled and hit his head, as well as being injured by splinters of what looked like emerald fragments .

The demon smiled, satisfied, and proceeded, suddenly stopping his hand in mid-air: he had sensed the presence of...

\- You never change, _father_.

Mary stared in awe at her mother emerging from an intra-dimensional gap, appeared from nothing behind Burai, followed by Karlheinz himself, as always showing off a more ambiguous smile than the female demon's natural one.

\- _You_ …!

The Demon Lord had no time to exchange a few words with his daughter that he was pierced through his chest by a sword and the face of his enemy in front of his own.

\- Everyone will pay the consequences of their actions, sooner or later, Burai. For you, this moment has just arrived - he removed the blade from the man who collapsed to the ground.

The skin was soiled by the blood of the Dragon's head and quickly began to darken, as if necrosis was occurring: it soon disintegrated under the youth's eyes; the white-haired woman didn't bat an eyelash and only her bitter smile let out a "farewell, father".

\- Well, one thing is done. Now... - Karlheinz glanced quickly at his sons and the girls, then grabbed the head by its horns and, with the Glass Lady's help, the Dragon regained his head.

Luminous circles formed around the joint between the head and the neck, widening and compacting itself with the flesh of the creature that quivered, emitting a low and hoarse cry of suffering; the woman stroked its head, murmuring soft words of comfort, while the vampire proceeded to completely repair the damage.

Suddenly the dimension seemed to tremble and some fragments of the dome fell to the ground; the Glass Lady urged the little group to get closer and created a protective sphere around them.

\- What's happening, _old man_?! - Ayato snapped against his father, staring at him with hostility; Yui put her hand on his arm, trying to calm him down.

The man gave him a slight sarcastic smile, though softened by her attitude.

\- Come on, is this the way to address your father?

\- _Just sharing the same blood as you disgusts me!_ \- the son replied sourly, growling.

Ruki gave him a disapproving look: how dare he use that tone and insult his saviour? Mary, however, sighed, thinking that it wasn't the time to dwell in conflicts between parent and son, and exchanged a look of agreement with her mother, who kept on comforting the poor Dragon, weak and more and more... _pale_ ; she approached it, crouching next to the creature and wondering what was happening to it.

\- Unfortunately, Chaos is spreading everywhere... and it's influencing its body and its powers a lot, poor little thing...

 _"Little"?_ , Shuu raised an eyebrow, examining that reptilian body: despite it being all twisted on itself, the length of that cluster of scales definitely exceeded thirty meters and the head was too large to remain comfortably in the arms of a single person.

\- Even if _that_ guy caused all this mess - Ayato stated, still staring at his father directly in his eyes - Something tells me you're still somehow involved!

The Glass Lady sighed, murmuring that she wasn't wrong; Karlheinz gave her a faintly offended look.

\- _You're hurting me_.

\- Please, Karl, you've destroyed three women and six boys' lives, _you're as heartless as a blood sample needle_ \- the woman replied, standing up and brushing off her fuchsia coat.

\- I saved the life of four orphans, I would like to remind you, _dear_ \- he replied, his smile beginning to fade into a grimace.

\- Your good deeds made to compensate for your mistakes have no value _if you keep on making other mistakes_! - the Glass Lady' smile disappeared, stunning the youth watching them argue, a bit perplexed, a bit bored, or a little anxious to find a solution.

\- We must give up some things and sometimes sacrifice them to achieve our plans – the Vampire King hissed, grinding his teeth, a reaction that astonished his sons.

Or better: both their behaviour was puzzling them a lot; they looked like two teenagers...

\- " _Sacrifice_ " what concerns and belongs to you, Karl! _Not ruinining my little sister_ , - the woman began to list counting with her fingers – not makingpoor Christa _lose her mind_ , not using my friend Beatrix, not making you sons' life _a nightmare_ , not taking advantage of the four you adopted, not imprisoning the Tsukinami brothers, not abandoning your illegitimate child, not involving _my daughter_! - the demon stared at him intently - _What other poor souls will you torture once again to reach your goals_?!

\- That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't turned down my marriage proposal, _Eva_!

The atmosphere froze and the tension seized the youths: Ayato gasped in monosyllables, Yui blinked, murmuring if she had heard right, Shuu widened his eyes wishing he had had his earphones on, Ruki brushed his hair in a gesture of nervous breakdown; at last, _Mary finally understood everything_.

 _Mother... was the real Eve...?_

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	44. Chapter 43

_Chapter 43_

Eva was born in the _year of the Lord_ and this coincidence had already been the first sign of the appearance in the demon society of a particular, _different_ personality; at the time, Karlheinz had been about a few hundred years old and had had a very developed intellect: knowing that Demon Lord Burai's firstborn had been born, the future Vampire King had immediately foreseen that her existence would have become important, not for her royal blood, or for the biblical woman whom she had been named after.

 _He had seen it right_ : reached the age of the first attitudes of awareness, her polemics directed at the demons' _questionably reprehensible mentality_ had aroused not little surprise and perplexity, but above all great disappointment on the her father's part; certainly an anti-conformist in the same royal family wasn't considered good.

At one point, the little demon girl had to make do with her own upbringing: the teachers that Burai had assigned her had soon lost patience and had resigned to stop listening to her "superfluous" questions and "silly" considerations; many of them had been executed, since even the Demon Lord had become intolerant, seeing them as incapable cowards.

During the long period in which Eva's appearance recalled those of a twelve-year-old girl, an important meeting had taken place among the most powerful personalities of the magic world: _Lady Fuchsia_ , at that time the delegate of wizards and witches, who had mostly always been the most willing to live with human beings, given the more marked similarities; _Sir Mendilion_ , the representative of elves who for some time had decided to remain apart from everything and everyone, if not on special occasions; the head of the Tsukinami family, _Giesbach_ ; the Lord of Werewolves; the King of Viboras, known also as Echidnas; the head of the Eagle clan, a race tending to be more anarchic and solitary; obviously _Burai_ , the Demon Lord; _Karlile_ , father of Karlheinz and the Vampire King, even if not for long; at last, many other figures of lesser importance.

At such events, made festive to lighten any tensions and avoid clashes (and they had also leapt at the chance of celebrating the two-hundred-fiftieth and two-hundredth birthdays of Giesbach's sons, _Carla_ and _Shin Tsukinami_ ), Eva used to present herself only for the formalities and stay in the surroundings for a while, quiet, then head for the garden, sitting in some remote corner and read a couple of parchments, seeking knowledge; the demon had the habit to always carry with her something from her father's library, hiding it inside a bag hidden by the scarlet hooded cloak she perennially used to wear.

The girl had behaved the same way that evening: after the pleasantries and having witnessed some talk about politics and the current situations both in the magic world and in the human one, she had gone out into the yard and had settled on the wall surrounding a basin reflecting the moon's rays as clear as her white curls; she had pulled out a voluminous manuscript, one of the first ones copied and bound by hand, and had begun reading it.

Fate had wanted Karlheinz to come out soon after, bored by the usual dialogues and their _little wisdom_ , according to him, about government topics: he couldn't consider them worthy of the task they held, or at least his judgment had been aimed at the four sub-races' representatives derived from the Tsukinamis, including himself; recently, he had noticed how much their way of thinking was lacking _something_ , some aspect that he himself couldn't identify.

He had therefore ventured out of the building, relaxing his facial muscles stressed by the continuous smile, and he had followed his instinct, approaching the demon's position: since he had seen her inside the building during the introductions, he had perceived the need to talk to her; something, since her birth, had convinced him that he needed her.

Moreover, the rumours about her had only increased his curiosity.

\- Good evening, Eva, daughter of Burai, the Demon Lord – he had greeted her, bending over with his torso and head and placing a hand on his chest, at the heart.

Eve, who had sensed his arrival much earlier, had remained immersed in reading until the last second: as soon as the "d" of "Lord" had come out of the vampire's mouth, the girl had raised her eyes to him, impassive as everyone was used to see her as.

\- Good evening to you, Karlheinz, son of Karlile, the Vampire King – she had simply replied back, returning to her book.

Silence had fallen and the young man had smiled, wondering whether to be amused, irritated or even awkward because of that reaction; he had opted to take a few steps to the left, absently examining a bush of red roses made silver from the moon, and then he had turned his attention back to her.

\- You have no interest in the discussions of our parents and other rulers?

The demon had seemed thoughtful and had looked up at him again, still serious.

\- I don't consider it fruitful to participate in their meetings if my word won't be taken into consideration or, even worse, I won't be allowed to expose my opinions.

The vampire had widened his smile more and had sat on the same wall, keeping a distance of about a meter not to make her uncomfortable and above all to avoid arousing any resentment or negative feelings towards him: he had needed to establish a friendly bond with her; antagonize her would have been disadvantageous for his plans.

\- Let's change the subject: have you noticed that some members of the First Blood lineage look unhealthy? Sick, I'd say. Heh, that's bizarre: in strong creatures like us, a disease is very rare if not improbable.

\- _Not impossible_ , though - the demon replied, looking him straight in the eye with her aquamarine irises; Karlheinz had thought that they reminded him so much of some of the ancient Egyptian glass amphorae he had in his collection of historical artefacts.

\- Of course - he had smiled - I wonder if it's contagious...? If it has contaminated the Tsukinamis, it could also infect the other races and with more important consequences - he had considered, deep in thought.

\- We should investigate. I doubt they'll want to listen to us, however: they're too _proud_ to admit a "miserable" disease is hindering them - Eva had returned to her book, admiring the parchment and the letters finely transcribed with meticulous care.

\- Unless I replace my father - Karlheinz had looked up at the night sky, mentally and correctly recognizing the names of all the stars.

The girl had widened her eyes and, controlling her emotions of surprise, had looked at him questioningly; she had begun telling him that he would have hardly obtained the throne earlier than expected, since his father still looked quite healthy, his power still among the strongest ones, almost competing with the First Bloods, and...

Karlheinz had let out a short genuinely amused laugh, sounding cold and calculating to Eva.

\- I'm afraid I will have to correct you on this, Demon Lord's daughter: it will happen very soon. Because my hands... - he had raised the aforementioned, examining them with eyes veiled with mystery, and also with _thirst for power_ \- _will just as soon end his long life_ , as my father himself has desired for thousands of years.

* * *

The demon hadn't immediately believed that, though hesitant; she had later regretted not having relied on her doubts, as she had received the news about Karlheinz becoming the new Vampire King and that his first move had been the isolation of the Progenitors from all the other races, so that the _Endzeit_ , the disease that had been exterminating them one by one, couldn't contaminate any of them.

He had started an in-depth research about that disease, studying the genome of the various races and the effects of a sample of the responsible pathogenic creature that hadn't been classified either as a bacterium or virus: he had discovered that all the sub-races generated by First Blood were at risk of contamination; there was a group of common genes that were found to be defective as a result of contact with the pathogen. He had tested the same on the genome of elves, wizards, demons and humans: while the damage persisted, it had affected a smaller number of genes and faced some resistance from the cells.

Karlheinz had been somewhat surprised by his discoveries, which he had sent to Eva herself to get her own opinion; moreover, his mind had been already planning how to _kill two birds with one stone_ : for a long time he had observed all the species' behaviour, from First Bloods to human beings; he had realized an aspect of the latter that attracted him in particular and that he felt to be absent in all the other races, without considering witches and wizards, very similar, and the elves... already _particular_ themselves. So, if he had hypothesized that crossbreeding them to obtain hybrids could have proved profitable to develop an Endzeit repellency, at the same time he would have taken advantage of it to create a new species, _powerful_ and "sensible" as humans: he had come to the conclusion that feelings were what was missing, except for witches, wizards, elves and humans.

Eva had perceived an unpleasant vibe when the message had arrived: as she had learned about _Karl_ 's work, as he had allowed her to call him, she had only found evidence to her omens, and had prepared to meet him as quickly as possible.

They had looked like teens close to adulthood; however, their mind was much more mature than that of a centenarian intelligent and cultured man.

Their second meeting had been one of the most memorable events for the vampire, if not a further increase in his interest in the demon: as soon as they had found themselves in a library as planned, she had slapped him in the face for the first time in his life; she had done no harm to him, but the gesture itself had certainly moved his character.

\- _You can't treat people as objects_ , _Karlheinz_! – she had scolded him, crossing her arms to her chest and raising her head with dignity, severe aquamarine eyes reflected in his.

The Vampire King had blinked, still slightly dazed and surprised by her reaction, and then let out a short, amused laugh.

\- Eva, I'm doing it for a good cause: we can't let the disease affetc the other races too - he had answered quietly, massaging the cheek apparently untouched; yet he had still sensed the impact of her white hand.

The woman had stared at him for a few minutes, before sighing and turning, thinking about possible solutions to suggest.

\- Just the other day, Menae, Giesbach's sister-in-law, came to my palace looking for help. Knowing your father's _hobbies_ , forgive me for being a little rude, maybe we could suggest her to him...?

The demon had looked at him coldly.

\- _Don't you dare_.

\- Why not, Eva? Do you have other plans in mind? From what has been known since the dawn of time, the only existing and surviving hybrids are those born of a wizard or witch and a human, or from a demon and a human; rarely there have been cases of hybrid offspring from the union of a demon with a wizard or witch... and you know that the sub-races have never been able to generate hybrids. First Bloods, to keep the purity of their race, have always married each other to avoid contamination, so we don't know what outcome would give the breeding between them and demons - Karlheinz had said, calm.

\- Why a demon? Why my father? - the woman had looked at him with a still sharp and annoyed look.

The Vampire King had chuckled and explained that the Tsukinamis would have never accepted as spouses members of races so inferior as humans and witches and wizards, nor of races derived from themselves, since they considered them as "dirty First Bloods", _weaklings_ ; it was out of question involving elves, who were also very attached to race purity, so demons had been the last option.

Eva had been silent for a few minutes, then turned away.

\- I certainly don't have the right to prevent you or my father from achieving your projects; provided that my father accepts your suggestion.

And she had left, letting the white curls dance on her back, observed intensely by the vampire who had smiled, pleased.

* * *

At the Cordelia's birth, it had taken a month for Eva to recover from the shock: Menae had died almost right after delivery, _without transmitting the disease to the daughter_.

Karlheinz had come to visit and see the conditions of the newborn, noting with satisfaction that the experiment had been successful; Burai hadn't been happy at all despite knowing that she was a powerful creature... but _she wasn't a demon_. _Cordelia wasn't a hybrid_ : her father's blood certainly flowed in her veins, but the genes had only manifested the characteristics of the progenitors. The Vampire King had also convinced the Demon Lord to silence the child's origins: they would have led her to believe she had been born as a vampire.

As they had been talking in a room in private, Eva had taken advantage of it to sneak into the little room where her little sister was resting; she had approached the cradle quietly, crouching beside it, and she had observed the little creature in front of her, still awake: her eyes were green like their father, and the few hair on her head looked purple. Fascinated by the little girl's appearance, she had raised a hand towards baby's face, barely touching it: Cordelia had moved, shrieked in contentment, and grabbed her finger.

On Eva's lips, for the first time in her life, a joyous smile had appeared.

\- _Hello_ , _my little sister_... - she had whispered, gently rocking her hand.

\- _EVA_! _Move_! - the thundering voice of his father had interrupted that moment, making her jump backwards and lose her first happy expression.

Just Karlheinz had seen it briefly and had perceived something anomalous in his chest; he hadn't paid much attention to it, interested in hearing what Burai had to say.

\- Let's be clear, my daughter: I don't want you to put on her mind your strange ideas. Do you understand? – he had warned her, looking into her eyes with resentment.

Eva had blinked, holding his gaze, impassive; she had inhaled deeply and finally nodded.

\- Yes, father.

Only the Vampire King had perceived a bitter crack in her voice and then he had widened his eyes as she had looked at him with a look full of hatred, while leaving the room: he would have needed to speak and clarify, thus taking his leave and following her.

They had resumed the same argument: as much as Karlheinz's methods might have been wrong, Eva hadn't been able to find any other way; she only had to understand the vampire's real intentions, aware that he had been hiding most of his plans.

\- What will your next move be? - she had asked him.

\- Find other possible combinations to get stronger and more immune generations to the Endzeit, right? - he had quietly smiled, almost amused.

\- You... - she had stopped, reflecting, then turned away – If I may, _you're a great idiot_.

It was the third time he had been taken aback; only then he had realized that he was infatuated with the female demon.

Nevertheless, this detail hadn't stopped him from assuming a more and more incorrect attitude with the passing of the years, as Cordelia grew, splendid in appearance, but with the flaws of the environment in which she had grown up; the Vampire King had pondered that if Eva had been allowed to remain close to her little sister, perhaps the latter would have been more prone to be a better person, and had hoped to remedy by being gallant with her (and not only him; his younger brother had been deeply fascinated by the long-purple-haired woman).

Certainly that woman so admired by the noble men herself had fallen in love, almost _obsessed_ , with the vampire: nevertheless this had only deepened the hatred and envy towards her older sister, whom she had been taught to harbour mistrust and contempt against; moreover, in order to conquer his love, _she would have resorted to anything_ , even attempt at humiliating Eva or, worse, kill her: she had been well aware of their frequent meetings between and many had noticed Karlheinz's interest in the demon, who, at least in appearance, was only determined to continue their research and studies.

It was normal and also quite customary for two brothers to face each other in a duel to prove one's superiority over the other; it rarely occurred between two sisters, unless being the only direct heirs, as in the case of the Demon Lord's daughters: so it had happened, when Cordelia had challenged her older sister, at another gathering, although counting only on those few skills she had thought to own, unaware of her true powers.

That had been the day when Eva had been named as _Glass Lady_ , coined by Karlheinz himself who, along with the rest of those present, had witnessed the clash between the two sisters: in truth, Cordelia, who had first raged verbally and violently towards the other, had had little time to use her powers, as the oldest sister had immediately raised around her dozens of glass cones with rough, irregular and _sharp_ surfaces; at the youngest one's first step, after a first surprised reaction because _Eva had never used her powers in public_ , she had raised some glass tips towards Cordelia, almost pricking at her heart, and given her a frosty and intimidating look.

Much more intimidating, however, had been the power which everyone had perceived coming from the firstborn of the Demon Lord, silent and overwhelmed precisely because of it; the second daughter had begun to fill her with insults again, protesting and calling her a coward as she had rushed out of the room, to _escape from that environment which had not lovingly welcomed her since birth_.

And she hadn't wanted for that _farce_ to last even just one second longer.

Meanwhile, the Vampire King had followed her, struck by the intensity she had enacted with her powers, making sure not to being noticed by Cordelia: he would have hated for that woman to keep on persecuting Eva, causing other inappropriate performances.

Reaching the demon, who had been leaning on the balcony's marble balustrade, he had also placed a hand on it and raised his face to the sky, still untouched by the light pollution and therefore sparkling with stars.

\- I wonder if you could have had the better of her... even without using her real powers - Karlheinz had considered with his usual smile.

\- My little sister is stronger than me. And I didn't stop her out of fear and shame to show my inferiority - she had immediately clarified, turning so that her face couldn't be seen by the man, who had been observing her carefully.

\- _Are you crying_ , Eva?

Receiving only silence as an answer, he had added, slightly surprised:

\- _I'm curious_... we're not creatures capable of experiencing emotions like these, or at least not up to this point - suddenly he had interrupted his sentence.

 _It was Eva!_ Eva was the right person to generate a lineage of powerful creatures and at the same time "sensibly human": how hadn't he thought about it yet? There was what had attracted him from the beginning! Moreover, if Cordelia had a First Blood as her mother and a demon as her father, she could have inherited the Endzeit immunity only from the latter, even though she wasn't of the same race: therefore Eva could have genetically given the same characteristic to her future offspring !

It was only necessary to find a worthy companion, who was just as strong as she or more, and possibly similar to her in conscience...

 _I should find her... an Adam? Adam and Eve, for a new generation!_ , he had thought.

He had looked at her: the demon had been watching him for a while, since he had left open the speech he had begun, wondering what other plans had passed through his mind; her aquamarine eyes were mirrored again the vampire's ones, arousing a strange and unknown feeling in his chest.

\- _Eva_ , _would you become my bride_?

Taken by surprise, the woman had been startled and, for the first time in her life, had blushed violently: after all, it had been the first time a man had proposed to her; certainly none of her kind had ever thought of marrying her, despite being the Demon Lord's daughter, due to her particular and unique personality, discriminated almost at the same level of a heretic.

However, she had to refuse: she didn't return his feelings, and it was too early, she was afraid of how her little sister would have reacted, she was sure that they didn't know much yet and that there were other fundamental steps to be achieved before...

\- You and I could be the solution to everything! I was thinking that...

His words had entered and gone out through Eve's ears; at that moment, _bitterness_ and _disappointment_ had prevailed.

And perhaps it had been only because of a small misunderstanding: if Karlheinz had been more circumspect, he would have understood that his choice had been much more sincere and passionate than he had ever thought; therefore, as the vampire had gone on, the demon had abruptly interrupted him with a dry and _cold_ :

\- _No_.

The man had opened his eyes wide, noticing the glacial look at him.

\- Why not…? _Eva_? Come on, it's a good idea...

\- _Karl_ , hybrids would never be born from us - she had cut him short, bending her head down and bringing her hands to her chest, starting to torture her fingers.

The other had remained slightly displaced by her observation, although being perfectly aware of it; he had let out a short laugh to play it down.

\- It doesn't matter, Eva, you saw what happened with Cordelia: she's a First Blood, yet she's immune to the Endzeit; it must be something that flows in demon blood. And with your values-...

\- Exactly, Karl: _my values_. Apparently we have few in common, starting from the reason that prompted you to propose to me. _Give up_.

Eva had turned away from him after bending her torso in a gesture of greeting and had moved away; Karlheinz had stared at her motionless, the smile fading from his lips and his eyes narrowing full of _resentment_ and _bitterness_.

* * *

From that event on, their relations had ceased, if not for the usual formalities; moreover, Eva had begun to attend less and less meetings and parties, more interested in trying to live among human beings, or at least among wizards and witches who were more alike.

She had wondered if she would have ever made friends with them, one night during which she had been preparing the necessary to leave the palace and her "family", to make a change in her life; how many friends had she had...? Perhaps none: the only two people she had ever been more sociable with had been a blonde, expressionless vampire, with whom she had heatedly discussed about good manners (her name had been Beatrix, if she hadn't been mistake), and a white as a white rose vampire, as indeed she was called by everyone, the fair and splendid Christa, a timid and reserved presence that she had had the chance to meet in a garden among the rose bushes.

Suddenly, she had looked up at her little sister with puzzlement as soon as she had broken into her room, hands on her hips and a victorious expression.

\- Karlheinz-sama... no, _Karl_ , today he asked for my hand! - Cordelia had swollen her chest, staring at her older sister with her green and arrogant eyes.

Eva had raised an eyebrow and had whispered a "congratulations", returning to her business; the other, a little annoyed by the lack of reaction, had widened her eyes at noticing the luggage scattered here and there.

\- _Are you leaving_? - she had asked, incredulous; she hadn't been able to explain whether it was out of pleasure, because it had seemed too good to be true, or out of slight and hidden deep _sadness_.

\- This is my intention - quickly checking out that she had taken all the necessary, she had closed the trunks and summoned a portal to let them pass; she had turned to Cordelia and given her a smile, the one which everyone would have known her with forever afterwards - Give greetings to our father on my part, little sister. _Farewell_.

* * *

Karlheinz hadn't just married Cordelia.

He had imprisoned the brothers Carla and Shin Tsukinami, the last survivors of their family, in a dimension in the Demon World, _inaccessible_ ; unless a red moon eclipse had taken place, since it would have weakened the Vampire King's powers and therefore allowed the two to free themselves.

Cordelia couldn't get pregnant; it wasn't possible to understand what the cause was, but the Vampire King hadn't thought twice about marrying Beatrix, the daughter of one of the noblest vampire families; Shuu and Reiji were born from their union. Only later on, the first wife had managed give birth to the triplets Laito, Kanato and Ayato; and since then the two wives had begun behaving with hostility between each other.

Moreover, Karlheinz had wanted to experience what would have been born of the union with a member of his own family, that was his cousin Christa; from her he had the sixth son, Subaru, and lots of problems due to the mental damage that the poor White Rose had undergone at discovering his true goals.

Eva had even heard that the man had welcomed four human orphans who he had turned into vampires: she was sure that it wasn't due to compassion, but rather for some other bizarre plan of his; nevertheless, curiosity had urged her to meet them, perhaps because of an inherent desire to try and "save them" from the Vampire King's influence.

She had thus re-established her connections with Karlheinz; _arguing_ from the first second, but at least the four young boys had taken a liking to her and she had loved them immediately, incited by the maternal instinct which she had never had the opportunity to experience, still unmarried and chaste after almost two thousands of years.

Probably because she would have needed to wait for other dozens of years before finding the man of her life.

* * *

\- You'll burn yourself - she had heard a deep, grumbling voice behind her.

\- _Excuse me_? - Eva had turned her head to look behind her shoulders and her eyes had widened at seeing that two meters tall wizard towering her.

The young man, giving her a tired look, had sighed and, muttering a "with permission", had moved her hand from the object she had been observing in that store of magic items.

The woman had felt the warmth of that big hand around hers, more petite and so white compared to the light tanned complexion of his skin.

\- If your hand had lowered a little more, you would have burnt your fingers - he had calmly explained, examining her hands – It'd be a pity on such delicate hands...

Eva had stared at him, still wide-eyed, speechless and stupefied, and had blushed.

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	45. Chapter 44

_Chapter 44_

\- Laito-kun? - Claire's thin voice, as soon as she woke up, broke the silence; she rubbed her eyes, turning her gaze to the vampire who had leaned against the rock where a crack allowed the entrance of the first rays of light of the aurora that dimly illuminated the place where they had withdrawn, to rest in peace, without Kou or Reiji bothering them, for one reason or another.

\- Like the moon... - the vampire murmured deep in thought.

The half-demon tilted her head, still sleepy, and mumbled to repeat, confused.

His emerald-like green eyes turned to her, bright.

\- Nfu~ _Micchan is like the moon_! She has the ability... no, the _gift_ to reflect all those values unknown to _damned creatures like me_ \- he paused briefly, leaning back against the wall and raising his head upwards – The moon lights up the dark earth during the night, when the true source of that light is far away... because _the moon loves the earth so much that it doesn't want it to succumb to the darkness_ ~ just as _Micchan loves us so much that she doesn't want us to become bad guys_ , _nfufu_ ~!

Claire was speechless for a while, amazed by that deep consideration, and then smiled, brushing her hair.

\- Are you a poet or a philosopher, Laito-kun~? I like this side of yours, _hehehe_ ~.

\- _Aaaaah_ ~, Claire-chan, I like it when you're so honest!

Before the vampire could launch himself on the girl, sharp and suffering cries had reached their ears, belonging to a familiar voice: Mark, a few floors below, was weeping and squirming, shaken by convulsions and abnormal sounds that echoed in his head, incapable to establish the usual telepathic communication with his beloved twin.

* * *

Mary moved away from the group, slipping a hand through her hair and messing it up in a tense gesture, thinking, and groaned due to a headache that kept on occuring at irregular intervals; the Glass Lady looked worried at her daughter's attitude.

\- My lavender flower?

 _Why can't I talk to Aniki...?_ , she wondered, inadvertently ignoring her mother's calls, until she felt a hand resting on her shoulder; she turned to those ocean-like eyes, questioning, and then saw the vampires' restless ones: they were also perceiving something strange...?

\- Mother... what's going on? Everything seems confused... - she murmured, turning alarmed to her mother who exchanged a look with Karlheinz, impassive.

\- I'm afraid Chaos is getting the upper hand - the Vampire King sighed - apparently, _we_ _failed_ \- his pale amber eyes paused on Mary - _Izanami_... only you can _reset_ everything.

\- Eh...?

The half-witch couldn't understand what he was talking about and Shuu mumbled something, annoyed; Ayato and Yui exchanged a confused look, while Ruki, lost in thought, looked away, clenching his fists on the hilt of sword he had chosen.

Karlheinz explained that his original plan was for _Izanami_ to use her power to reset the situation if Adam and Eve's plan had ended with the worst possible scenario, as well as being a kind of support and another couple to generate a powerful offspring, possibly immune to Endzeit; a characteristic that Eve's descendants, and thus Yui's, would have surely inherited thanks to Cordelia's heart transplanted in her.

Mary stared at the man wide-eyed and mouth ajar: she wasn't so upset by his plans, which she had been already aware of enough to agree with her mother that he was _an idiot_ ; as much as for the fact that he didn't seem to repent at all, or at least show off an embittered or sorry expression, for what he had done.

\- You really used all of us... - she whispered in a choked voice, looking at her mother first, then at Shuu and Ayato, Ruki and Yui; at last, she found herself looking at the tip of her boots, dirty with a strange dark green liquid...?

\- The Dragon?! - she exclaimed in horror.

Only at that moment everyone realized that the Dragon was losing blood copiously, from the mysterious wounds that were spreading on his body one after the other, more quickly and deeper; the poor creature moaned weakly, and even the Glass Lady's embrace couldn't console it, her being still untouched by the wounds.

\- This is serious, very _serious_ \- Karlheinz whispered, more to himself, considering that if the Dragon was in those conditions, then there was no longer any hope but to reset.

 _How did everything get out of his hand_? Until recently, everything had been under control; he had also been happy to see sincere feelings had developed between his sons and the chosen girls, aware that this would have been a great advantage for everyone. Yet, the result of all his efforts, though conscious that he had made others suffer, was turning into tragedy; he could have gone back with time, as he had done on rare and very small occasions... but it had been very short periods: in this case he would have had to regress too much, and maybe he wouldn't have achieved important results any more...

How could he have induced _Izanami_ to use her power? Perhaps by killing one of them and causing her an intense pain of loss, as it had happened in the past?

... No. He was _tired_. Really tired, to resort to those extreme solutions. After a long existence like his, lived between experiences and various events, _perhaps_ he could identify himself with Eva and understand her values ...

\- _MARY-SAN_!

Eve's scream stirred him from his thoughts and, in horror, he raised his head to see _Izanami_ 's face smeared with the Dragon blood's curse: skin, eyes and hair had become completely black, with thin, irregular white streaks crossing each other; the Glass Lady threw an exasperated exclamation, Shuu was stopped just in time by Ruki and Ayato from impulsively reach and touch his wife, risking to be contaminated.

The blood had penetrated through a slit on the sole of the half-witch's boots, soaking the sock and as a result coming into direct contact with the skin of her feet: this would have implied the rapid weakening of Izanami's powers; it had really turned out for the worst.

* * *

Subaru watched the sky as it suddenly darken; he had agreed to accompany Isa, still weak and sad, into a room in the shelter from which she could see the sunrise: it had lasted only a few minutes, then a _crack_ had suddenly appeared _in the sky_ (he would have sworn he had heard a _harrowing scream_ , as if the sky had been _alive_ and had been _torn in two_ ), from which a strange dark fluid had begun to spread everywhere, also affecting the sea and the earth, hiding them under an impenetrable veil, similar to thick black fog.

Isa clung to the albino, looking with wide eyes at the disturbing phenomenon, her lip trembling with anguish; the vampire, despite the little witch's closeness had caused him a light pink tinge to his cheeks, wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

\- Everything will be fine... I trust that ugly wit-... I mean, Mary.

The girl looked at him with her amber irises.

\- Hopefully... Mark-senpai can't communicate with Mary-senpai anymore... poor thing, he's suffering so much... and Theo doesn't know what to do for him anymore.

A male voice called them: Reiji warned them to go back down with everyone else, as they intended to seal any openings or interstices communicating with the outside, to stop the advance of that foreign dark matter for as long as possible.

\- Let's go, Isa - Subaru murmured, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

The girl nodded and saw behind the bespectacled vampire Lily and Martha, giving her a heartening smile... even if there were _resignation_ and restlessness in their eyes; as they left, she heard Anna and Yuuma's yells in the distance, fighting _amicably_ again, and went back into the great hall where everyone had gathered, those drowsy, those still wounded and waiting for further treatment, those who were afraid, those calm but internally desperate. She saw Kou and Azusa throwing worried looks, obviously thinking about their oldest brother; Laito and Claire had finally showed themselves, after being alone who knows where; Anna's older sisters were sitting and talking to each other in a low voice, caressing the hair of the two youngest ones who slept with their heads on their laps; she didn't see Kanato, probably in the dungeons with her zombie sister...

She glanced at Mr Ari and Mr Flyer, in a corner; the latter looked like he had suddenly aged: she had never seen that white curl of hair... And he had very deep dark circles.

 _Mary-senpai... come back soon, please..._

* * *

Kalrheinz had let out a resigned sigh and declared his will to face his two sons in a duel, certain that they would have ended his long life: it would have been his only consolation, after the various recent failures; Ayato and Shuu had widened their eyes at his words and, seeing his father take a sword out of his cloak, their hands had automatically leaned on their own to draw them out. However, they had suddenly found themselves locked up in a transparent, solid and cold bubble, as if it had been made of ice, and the Glass Lady had moved in front of them, holding a long and serrated glass blade: she wouldn't have allowed to the Vampire King to commit such nonsense in that situation, not so much because he was tired of that ritual with which he himself had obtained the throne (being well aware that the sons weren't so contrary to that method), but because she interpreted it as a sign of surrender and a little of cowardice; in truth, perhaps it was also a small personal "showdown ...

They had therefore begun to fight each other in front of the two Sakamakis' eyes, who tried in every way not to be fascinated by the rapid and skilful movements of the two adversaries to focus on finding an escape from that glass sphere; Ruki watched with his heart in his throat, no longer knowing what to think, since one was his saviour, the other one of the few women he had ever trusted and had ever respected in his life; Mary had collapsed to the ground, suddenly weak and very tired, not caring about what was happening between her mother and the vampire.

Between the anxiety of the Dragon curse that was consuming her friend's body and the agitation due to the sudden fight (she even thought they were all out of their mind), Yui took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate: she had realized that she was the only one with a clear mind to think about what to do, even if she had no idea how to act; after all, it had been just a few months since she had become a vampire! Still, she strongly believed that there was a detail that had escaped her...

 _The dream!_ , she thought suddenly, widening her eyes and crouching beside the half-witch who raised a hand to keep her away.

\- Yui, don't get close, I could infect you...

\- Mary-senpai, my dream! - she exclaimed, summarizing it briefly, and, to her puzzled face, she added - The _apple_! I had pick it up! I never dreamt it was lost or destroyed...!

She pointed at the Dragon, the tree, the environment in general: everything was going to succumb; but there was no real trace of the apple she would have had to pick up from the plant, she hadn't see it hanging from any branch, nor she had seen it anywhere else.

\- I'm sure we have to look for it! - Yui insisted, almost clasping her hands in her own but promptly stopped by Mary, who was invigorated by those words.

Although seeming a trivial hypothesis, it was still something to hold on...

They exchanged a knowing look and, after making sure that the others were busy (Karlheinz and Eva were fighting, the boys... in any case, they would have been an obstacle since they were boys), got up, moving away quickly; it wasn't difficult for the half-witch to dissolve a part of her mother's protective sphere, using most of the little power left to her due to the fatigue and the curse.

\- According to _Murphy's law_ , the apple should be in the _most unreachable_ place - Mary suggested, recovering a bit of her sarcasm and black humour.

With a glance at Yui, they both raised their heads upward, towards the circular structure above them; it wouldn't have been a problem to reach it: the vampire would have been able to teleport, the half-witch would have used her powers as a demon and so they did.

* * *

The battle lasted what seemed like an eternity due to Shuu's limited patience, who had left to Ayato the honour of destroying that surprisingly resistant barrier (it almost seemed made of diamond!), in order to avoid wasting energy, as usual; his brother was cursing, angry at his aunt for not having left him the opportunity to fight his father and irritated by the slowness with which he was scratching that glass wall.

Ruki stood still on the spot, occasionally watching the poor Dragon paling with the passing of the seconds, suffering; he felt the tension rise as the Glass Lady's glass blade shattered into a thousand pieces and she fell to the ground, disadvantaged by the unexpected magical attack that the opponent had directed against her.

Karlheinz sighed, pointed the tip of his sword to the demon's face, and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out: his eyes widened, moaning more out of surprise than the unmistakable feeling of being pierced by two blades, a burning feeling radiating from his heart throughout his body; Eva lifted herself with her hands on the ground, and raised her head to the Vampire King and the two young men behind him.

The man was still apparently stupefied, then a smile appeared on his lips which a trickle of blood ran from.

\- I didn't think Ari had found the right substance to impregnate these blades... did you know, _Ayato_?

The son behind him blinked in confusion: after being able to free himself, he had intervened with Shuu, caught by some inner instinct at suddenly seeing his aunt in disadvantage; though willing to confront his father, he believed that the swords supplied by Ari would have been harmless, since it took much more to kill the Vampire King...

Shuu was silent; he had barely recognized the smell of _Acqua d'Argento_ , but he hadn't paid much attention to it: he had never thought it to be possible, that such liquid poured from a source lost in some otherworldly dimension could be truly fatal...

Ruki watched the scene, his hand grasping painfully around the hilt of his own sword, having decided to not his and his brothers' saviour, and understood everything: had Ari foreseen and planned everything? Had the Glass Lady been aware of this...?

The last doubt was denied by said woman's bitter comment.

\- Ah... _my husband_... what a fool...

Silence fell on them, barely touched by the structure's creaks above their heads, which the girls were scouring, desperately looking for that apple, still unbeknownst to them (or at least the three young men).

\- Boys... let him go... - the woman murmured with a faint voice.

Shuu and Ayato hesitated a moment, before pulling the blades out of their father's body, which seemed to have suddenly become fluid because of how easily they withdrew them; the man fell forward, promptly caught by the Glass Lady's arms, who placed his head lightly on her lap, delicately moving a few strands of his long white hair from his face.

In the meantime Ruki approached them and stared in disbelief at the dying vampire, even more than the two biological sons: _was he really going to die that way_...?

\- Ah... _Eva_... - Karlheinz sighed, turning his lost eyes to the woman's face, who looked back with a melancholy expression - I made several miscalculations... what a shame, for two baggage of experience and wisdom like us...

The Glass Lady shook her head.

\- _Karl_... we were both wrong and at the same time... _we aren't completely responsible_... I misunderstood _that time_. If only I had tried to _understand_ you...

\- No, Eva - he interrupted her, smiling and closing his eyes - _Izanami and Izanagi would never been born_.

Both were silent.

\- In the end... despite having finally got the opportunity to end my long life... _I still feel this emptiness_ , unknown to me... - Karl whispered, his body and clothes paler and paler.

The Glass Lady squeezed his hand between hers.

\- Karl... _you've never been alone_...

The man let out a slight, strangled, sarcastic laugh.

\- Those four brothers love you so much, they're grateful to you... - the woman added, turning her eyes to Ruki, who knelt down, leaning towards the evanescent figure and grabbed his other hand.

They had a déjà vu; but it was _Karlheinz_ the one being _saved_.

\- Sir... I may not have always agreed with you... but if I could go back in time, _I would take your hand again_. We respect you, we owe you... and yes, _we love you_ \- the young vampire managed to hold his voice from cracking.

Karlheinz half-opened his eyes, looking at his adoptive son; Ruki felt a slight pressure from the man's hand on his own and lowered his head to conceal his pained expression when he saw his eyes wet.

\- Ruki... this, from you... - he smiled, unable to finish; his appearance now resembled that of a statue abandoned in a desolate and grey place.

Shuu and Ayato didn'tknow what to say; strangely, the death of their old man didn't give them any relief or satisfaction: on the contrary, the lonely and unshed tear they had glimpsed before their father had closed his eyes had slightly shaken them, causing them some discomfort.

Eva sighed and stroked Karlheinz's face.

\- Karlheinz, rest in peace... _flee_ from this world, from that environment that _didn't welcome us_ , that hasn't truly recognized you... _may God have mercy on you_.

And Karlheinz finally expired, reducing himself to millions of bits of dust on the woman's clothes and into her and Ruki's hands.

* * *

Yui and Mary scoured the structure from top to bottom, risking several times having part of the ceiling collapse on their heads or falling down because of the floor collapsing; yet there seemed to be no trace of the apple, and this threw them into despair as time passed, so much so that they also examined the narrowest spaces where it was very unlikely for the fruit to be found.

The vampire's eyes were wet with frustration and disappointment, since she herself had suggested the idea, led by a dream that could have turned out to be true only partly and not totally as she had hoped; the half-witch had slumped against the wall, slipping on the ground and looking at her hands after removing the usual gloves she wore: Izanami's transparency had left room to the curse's black with white lines, perhaps corresponding the underlying veins.

She sighed, as her friend sat next to her, not too close.

\- Mary-senpai, I'm sorry... I was sure we would find it...

\- Maybe it was just something allegorical, Yui-chan - Mary interrupted her, trying to stay clear headed and think - The question is: _what_ does it represent?

\- I had dreamed of picking it up... - the other murmured, closing her eyes exhausted.

The young woman reflected on those words, her eyes fixed on the painting hanging on the cracked wall in front of her, then widened her eyes and raised a finger towards the object itself, incredulous.

\- Yu-Yu-Yu-Yui-chan...

The blonde gave her a perplexed look at first and, following her finger, focused her eyes on the picture, analysing it: she gasped, because there was portrayed a tree full of leaves with a protruding branch from which an apple hanged; besides, near the tree, there was a tiny light-haired girl, standing on tiptoes with her arms raised to grab the apple.

\- Okay - Mary said – we've confirmed the apple, and it seems you're involved, too; but _where_ and _how_?!

Suddenly they both became quiet, seized by a cold sensation.

\- Karlheinz-san... - Yui whispered, mentally reciting a prayer.

\- Sooner or later, _we all die_... - the other girl sighed, rubbing her neck, and jumped as soon as she saw her mother appear in front of them.

\- Dear girls, come... I know what you were looking for, and unfortunately you have mistaken _where_ and _how_ – she smiled, giving them a slight scolding look - If you hadn't been so rushed and had waited patiently, I would have given you directions.

The two girls exchanged a nervous look and were teleported down with the woman; Ayato flipped on her girlfriend, complaining about her disappearing on him, as Shuu shrugged and snorted in front of his wife, commenting that it was really difficult to keep an eye on her and that he would have never left her alone.

Mary blew a raspberry, while Ruki stared at the curse with a certain discomfort.

The Glass Lady invited Yui and Ayato to approach the tree and lean both hands on it.

\- Since Shuu-kun and Ayato-kun have... - Eva sighed and left the sentence incomplete - Karlheinz's powers were poured into both of them; I don't know how and how much, but I'm sure it will be enough for... well, you can already see it yourselves - the woman smiled as she saw the tree miraculously invigorate and fill with leaves and buds.

Yui witnessed the phenomenon with eyes that shone with wonder, Ayato narrowed his eyes and frowned a little puzzled, Shuu remained impassive, Mary thanked God that at least one thing was turning out for the best and Ruki wondered how the two Sakamakis would have solved the following question: _who would have become the new and future Vampire King_? It was probable that they would have faced each other for the throne...

On one of the lower and nearer branches, a beautiful flower blossomed, the aroma of which spread rapidly in the air, inebriating it; as in a speedy sequence of a naturalistic documentary, they saw the transition from flower to fruit, a big blood-red apple, with an appealing and polished appearance: at this point Yui, moved by an instinct coming from the soul, raised her arms and wrapped the fruit in her fingers, after caressing its fresh, perfumed skin with tenderness.

Just as she was about to detach it from the branch, a roar distracted them: they looked around, noticing that the darkness had fallen down around them, which was gradually shrinking, gradually engulfing the whole dimension, including the poor Dragon who issued a last cry of agony; however, they didn't noticed the cracks upwards and large shards as sharp as pieces of glass fell to the ground, making the girls jump.

The Glass Lady created another protective barrier, but she didn't make in time to avoid a large slab from falling on Yui, piercing her chest.

\- _YUI_! - the desperate cry of Ayato, who took the girl in his arms, her being shocked and on the verge of losing consciousness, didn't reach Mary's ears.

With eyes wide open, lips trembling, she stepped back, peered by an anxious Shuu and a worried Ruki, while her mother felt the tension becoming very thin: around her daughter appeared white writing, in different languages, in circles; at the same time, a gust of wind from the unknown origin rushed against them and the writing became increasingly thick lines, to form a sphere around the half-witch.

Shuu yelled something, Ruki's eyes widened; Mary opened her mouth to let out a heart-breaking but voiceless scream.

Everything became black.

And then it was white.

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	46. Chapter 45

_Chapter 45_

 _Aneki. My beloved sister._

Mary opened her eyes, blinking, each time seeing the surrounding environment gradually shift from total darkness to blinding white; she realized that she was lying on a palpable surface, covered by a very low bank of fog, pleasantly cool, and she raised her torso carefully, looking around: there was nothing but that infinite expanse of whiteness, the outlines defined only by a shade on light gray.

 _Nothing_ , but _someone_ was there: not far from her, she saw her brother, and a rush of joy, mixed with sadness and euphoria, pushed her to get up and run towards him, hugging him with enthusiasm; Mark wrapped his arms around his sister's thinner body, kissing her head and barely holding back tears of relief.

\- Aneki... _I thought I had lost you forever_... - he whispered in a choked voice, his glassy eyes lost in the void.

Mary shook her head.

\- No, you didn't lose me...! _You will never lose me_ \- she retorted, intensifying her grip.

A voice made them jump in surprise and turn to the source of origin: a woman with black wavy hair, almost touching the ground, was looking at them with a sweet and at the same time melancholy expression, a veil of bitterness covering the blue of her tired and old eyes, despite her apparent young appearance; she was wearing several layers of tunics of neutral colours, which stood out against her bright green jade beaded necklace.

\- I'm glad that a pair of twins has remained united - she declared enigmatically.

The two hybrids looked at her a little wary and fearful, holding hands, as if looking for security in each other; the stranger let out a short, tender laugh and held out a hand.

\- Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I could affect you with all the sadness that has weighed on me for countless years, but maybe you have also suffered enough to be used to it - she said with a sad smile, trying to play down.

\- You are... - Mary murmured, inspired by intuition.

\- _Izanami_ \- Mark concluded in turn.

The woman nodded with a slow gesture of her head, assuming an expression almost discouraged by that consideration; as if she had never wanted to be who she was.

She sighed.

\- My poor brother _Izanagi_... when he died, as you already know, out of hatred, anger, revenge and any other negative emotion, I reawakened my power... which had the ability to "reset" all the circumstances in my surroundings, and perhaps extending to even farther territories. However... - she sighed, taking a few steps to her right and keeping her face down - Many, if not all, have misunderstood this power. The meaning, how to do it and, above all, what are the real effects, the real consequences that it brings within.

The twins, silent, exchanged a knowing look.

\- You mean they used to think this "reset" would really imply a "return to the beginning" and then a "redo all over again"? - the half-witch suggested.

Izanami gave her a satisfied smile and nodded.

\- So many have taken advantage of it... becoming greedy and proud... - Mark whispered, remembering the first sentence that the woman had addressed them: " _I'm glad that a pair of twins has remained united_ ".

\- And foolish - the woman added, her eyes lost in the void, remembering the fate to which those few pairs of hybrid twins had gone, born once every hundred years as potential _Izanami_ and _Izanagi_ \- Knowing what had happened to me, many tried to awaken those powers in the same way: they would kill their own brother, or sister. However, how could such cold and fratricidal hearts experience the same immense pain I did because of my loss? Certainly even the slightest feeling of bitterness was enough.

\- It would have prevailed the " _it was necessary_ " - the half-wizard added, squeezing his sister's hand; he couldn't identify with those people, he loved her so much: he could have never committed the same crime for such a _futile_ purpose.

His twin thoughts were the same, while keeping her head bowed, sorry to learn those past events and at the same time indignant at the madness of those individuals.

\- So they were convinced - Izanami sighed, and then looked brightly and relieved at Mary - But you, my dear, you have refused this position from the beginning... or rather, you have grasped what was really more important, you thought only what you thought was most essential: _your values, your life and that of those around you_.

The woman reached them and put her hands on their joint ones, as tears slipped on her face. She explained that even though Mary had been left without energy, her desire for things to return to their normalcy, to see their loved ones safe again and to return to their everyday routine, had prevailed, allowing her to release that power; the dramatic situation in which they had precipitated would have been resolved: the enemies would have returned to their respective territories, the dimensions would have regained their equilibrium and the Dragon curse would have been annulled.

Mark formulated a question mentally, biting his lips to avoid asking it, since he thought it to be impossible; Izanami gave him a compassionate look and shook her head: _those who died couldn't be brought back to life_. He thought of Morten, holding back his tears and calling himself a fool, ashamed of that vain hope as he cracked a smile.

\- _It's time to go home_. May God assist you, _always_. And... _thank you_.

Her body began to emit a faint light which intensified more and more, until it dazzled the half-witch; even her twin perceived through his dull eyes some light, barely distinct.

They fell back into darkness, losing their senses.

* * *

 _Shut up, let me sleep..._

 _Aneki, come on, everybody's worried!_

 _No... do you realize how much I've been through, Aniki? I need a whole month of rest to recover from all these traumas..._

 _Think of poor Izanami who has been alone all this time, waiting for us, without her dear brother. She wants to see us keep on living. My beloved sister... Wake up!_

\- Mary, _wake up_!

The young woman opened her eyes slowly, looking at the blurred features of the face bent over her, but clear enough to reveal Shuu's exasperated and anxious expression, once she recognized the ocean in his eyes; she felt her body all numb, her back aching and her fingertips very, very cold.

The vampire choked a sigh of relief to hold her tightly in his arms, against his chest, hiding his face in her neck and murmuring that perhaps miracles really existed.

\- Idiot... I won't leave you alone... - the girl weakly whispered, cracking a smile and trying in vain to pinch him; her muscles didn't respond to her commands, still too tired.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mary finally noticed Yui's tearful face of joy, not far from her, supported by Ayato's possessive arms that rolled his eyes at seeing his elder brother so _disgustingly_ emotional (as if he himself hadn't risked a heart attack at seeing his unconscious girlfriend!); on the other side she saw Ruki who was giving them his back, looking towards something that she couldn't see yet.

She moved her eyes to observe the surroundings: _snow_ ; the whole lawn, the trees and the bushes were covered with pure white snow, and the lake where they had immersed had frozen at least on the surface. The creatures with a feline snout and no lower legs looked at her from behind the white and soft piles, curious and peaceful piles; the sun was rising in the clear and rosy sky from its light, soon blue, some little bird chirped, a cold but light wind caressed her cheeks, the distant echoes of the comrades' voices who had remained near the refuge reached her ears full of positivity: _everything was calm_.

The attack was over, the enemies away; the sufferings would persist, but they would be faced with a strong heart and a calm mind.

Mary sighed and felt her eyes moisten, before being gently pulled up by the handsome blond; hardly finding the balance on her feet and refusing to be picked up with disappointment by her husband, the half-witch finally saw what Ruki had stared at until then: her mother was sitting on the lake bank, clutching in her hands Karlheinz's cape.

From that position, none of them could see the Glass Lady's face; but it wasn't difficult for them to imagine she was thinking of the late Vampire King , reflecting on their past.

Mary limped towards her mother, helped by Shuu, watched with melancholy and pensive eyes by Ruki; she crouched next to her and put a hand on her white one, drawing her attention: mother and daughter exchanged an understanding look, sad and sweet.

* * *

Those who had left the battle unscathed or not too bruised were helping to transport the less fortunate either to hospital in the other side of the island, in case of more serious injuries, or to the local one, for everyone else, being smaller and having fewer resources suitable for particular types of intervention.

Rose had been immediately taken to a distant tower where she would have been locked up forever, condemning her to the pain of long and perhaps eternal years of torturing boredom; hadn't it been for Reiji needing all his brothers to be present and discuss about something important, Kanato would have probably followed her.

Perhaps, _he would have done it in the future_...

The Glass Lady, though exhausted, Mr Flyer with hair looking like a broom and Mr Ari who had to rely on a crutch because of a fractured leg (besides the plaster around his arm) were immediately summoned by the island's ruling people, thus being temporarily absent from the city as the youth, with the help of some adults who arrived from the other side, treated the wounded one and repaired the rest of the damage, although some buildings had already been partially renovated thanks to _Izanami_ 's power.

The first thing happening to Mary, while setting foot in the hospital to verify her health, was being overwhelmed by a small group of people, or more precisely girls: Isa had jumped around her neck, bringing her to the ground before Shuu's annoyed eyes and ignoring Subaru's advice, also bothered, both because the same witch was recommended to avoid sudden movements by doctor Elena, and because the poor half-witch had fainted briefly due to the sudden impact on the floor; agitated, Anna had shaken her by the shoulders, not expecting that she would have fainted so easily, before being picked up by Yuuma (who had avoided Ruki's inquisitive look on his bandaged arm); Finn had stayed on top of her to stare at her silently, waiting for her to wake up, not paying attention to Shuu's umpteenth annoyed look; only Claire managed to persuade her to get up and helped the blond lift her friend, each holding her on one side.

Laito had watched the scene, greatly amused by it, making fun of the half-demon by saying he would have expected a such a behaviour from Isa rather than her; meanwhile, Kou and Azusa had approached Ruki, surprising him with all their worried questions and barely concealed the slight emotion that had stirred him, pretending to be cool and saying that nothing had happened.

A second later he had assumed a grave expression, thinking it would have been difficult to tell them about their adoptive father's death... but it wouldn't have taken long for them to know, because Reiji would have later declared it. Being pure-blooded and Karlheinz's direct descendants, the sons who hadn't seen his death had nevertheless perceived it.

Mary was taken to the same room as Mark and all the others discharged or taken to the emergency room for more general inquiries; only Shuu could have stayed and waited outside for the visit to end, along with Anna's second older sister, Ellen, in awkward silence amid the bustle of nurses, patients, bystanders and doctors.

When Elena came out and gave them permission to enter, they didn't manage to get close to the door that Theo had already darted inside to see his best friends: the boy had thrown himself on one hugging him tightly around his neck, almost making him mute because of his too much strength; similar fate occurred the other who had shielded herself with a _mere little notebook_ in front of her face, a device that amused the vampire and the other witch, the latter sitting on the edge of Mark's bed.

\- Okay, Theo, _that's enough_ \- Mary said in a choked voice, trying to shake off that sort of affectionate amoeba; the wizard let her go with a sulky smile and sat down on the only chair in the room, as Shuu laid directly next to his wife, paying no attention to her bent eyebrow.

\- Well! - Theo exclaimed, giving a look to each of them, except the vampire who had crouched comfortably to nap, enjoying the girl stroking his hair - _What will happen now_?

Everyone was silent; then, Ellen first broke the ice.

\- We'll go back to our daily activities, right? Without underestimating the possibility of any complications in the future, of course - she considered wisely, and then glanced at the blond, squeezing Mark's hand which had rested on hers - As for the Sakamakis and Mukamis, it'll be necessary to consult Kalheinz- sama...

\- He's not among us anymore - Mary interrupted promptly, expressionless.

\- Patience, we will wait for...

\- No, Ellen-san: he's _dead_.

Silence fell again; Ellen's eyes widened and Theo's mouth was slightly.

\- _Who will become the new Vampire King_ , then...? - Anna's sister questioned.

Shuu opened his eyes, staring at the light blue of the sheets wrapping his wife's body, and took a deep breath, aware that in a short time Reiji would have come to call him to get together with the other brothers and discuss about that issue; since he and Ayato had defeated their father at the same time, the law "The throne is up to the eldest son" was no longer valid.

He snorted annoyed and stood up under Mary's worried eyes, leaving the room reluctantly and heading where his brothers were; he imagined their distraught faces, especially Reiji's, at seeing him coming of his own will, without even being called: he let out a sardonic laugh and exited the hospital, finding them a few feet away from the entrance, his feet sinking in the soft snow.

Ayato was sitting on a bench with Yui on his lap, squeezing her to him deep in thought, as she was trying to ignore some curious looks on them, embarrassed; Kanato was on a low wall, swinging his legs and almost seemed to kick on purpose Laito's face, who was avoiding him while complaining to hasten the discussion since he had an appointment with Claire in Isa's room, hospitalized for a sudden increase in blood pressure; Subaru looked annoyed at his bespectacled brother who was telling him to call the eldest son.

And, as expected, much to their surprise (and Reiji's shock), Shuu himself arrived.

Recovering from the confusion, the second son cleared his throat and fixed his glasses on his nose.

\- Oh, this is a very rare and singular event. It should be marked on the calendar - he commented ironically - I guess you understood this is important, despite all your flaws.

Shuu rolled his eyes to the sky.

\- The sooner we clear this, the sooner we finish _and I can go back to sleep_ \- at these words it was the turn of the other to look up exasperatedly.

\- _Are you sure you'll still have time for naps_ , Shuu~? I think you're likely the one to be the heir... and frankly, it's better that way, I don't wanna have anything to do with it - Laito said, brushing his hair in a melodramatic manner.

\- As I told you, we killed the old man at the same time - Ayato snapped, making Yui startle, not expecting that sudden reaction.

The blond gazed at him carefully, murmuring he looked somewhat to be in a bad mood.

\- Even if Ore-sama is perfect for this role, since _I'm the best without a doubt_ , I don't...! - the reddish-haired vampire bit his lips and growled, irritated.

\- Ah, I can understand you, brother: you don't wanna take on this weight, do you, fufu~ I don't blame you! - the twin said, earning a cold look.

All six brothers knew very well that becoming the Vampire King meant a thousand and more responsibilities; who would have had the intention of dealing with all of this, after they had spent their whole life either enduring problematic mothers or (most of them) doing nothing?

\- Give up, Shuu: _you shall become the new King_ ~! - Laito theatrically asserted, feigning a gallant bow as if he was facing a royal figure.

Subaru was silent, arms crossed over his chest and muttering that he couldn't wait to be dismissed; Ayato was still frowning, torn between the desire to show everyone how great he would have ruled and the instinct to lead a quieter life (after all, he already had Yui; frankly, he needed nothing else, if not _tranquillity_ ); Kanato seemed to have other on his mind, so much so that even Teddy was badly dangling from his hands; Laito was looking at each of them, waiting for the final verdict to be declared, with a pretty idiotic smile on his face; Reiji was staring at his older brother with an indecipherable expression, as if he was worried or anxious for some obscure reason; Shuu returned his gaze expressionless.

Yui was waiting patiently, thanking God that they weren't fighting: she would have expected such a thing, but they were all most likely really tired, between their past and recent events; _it was time for even them to deserve some peace_.

At last, Shuu sighed, rubbing his neck.

\- _Reiji_ , _it's up to you_. You're all dismissed, _good night_ \- he said hurriedly, turning his back to promptly leave and reach his wife to lie down on her bed (he would have never thought that the hospital beds could be so comfortable).

Said vampire blinked, taken aback, after a brief silence during which the others had remained open-mouthed; he winced and grabbed his brother by his shoulder to stop him, resentful and at the same time perplexed.

\- Are you fleeing _again_ from your duties, good-for-nothing?!

\- Reiji, come on, there's nothing to be surprised about - the blond replied annoyed, turning face to face and leaving him a bit surprised by his determined expression – Everyone knows that I've never been really committed to this role, it has never interested me and never will. You're more suited to do it. _Good night_.

He tried again to get away, but grunted at being held back by the arm.

\- _No excuses_ , _Shuu_! For a good time in your life, face your responsibilities...

\- You have studied, _you struggled all your life_ \- the blond interrupted him, wriggling from his grip and raising his voice, having reached the limit of tolerance - For a good time in your life, _realize that someone has noticed and appreciated your efforts_!

Reiji stiffened, struck by those words.

\- You deserve this role, Reiji - Shuu sighed, ruffling his hair in an impatient gesture and looking him straight in the eye - You have everything you need: knowledge, strength, intelligence, the sense of order and discipline... and I can already see you in bed with that girl there, _Lina_? _Lila_? _Lini_? _Lilly_? _Whatever_ her name is, she's a pureblood vampire and even related to us! Everything is perfect: you're the new Vampire King, period.

Unfortunately for the blond who felt his throat aching from all that talk, his younger brother opened his mouth again, slightly red in the face out of both embarrassment and indignation because having mentioned Lily.

\- Ok, I'm the new Vampire King - he stopped him just in time, confusing everyone for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice, drawing the witnessing passers-by's attention - And today _I_ , Shuu Sakamaki, the Vampire King, _shall abdicate the throne in favour of my brother Reiji Sakamaki_ , _the new Vampire King_!

Silence fell, leaving some stunned and others amazed; the bespectacled vampire was still as a statue, astonished and unable to reply back.

\- _Finally_! - Shuu exclaimed, retracing his steps towards the inside of the hospital, from a window of which her wife had appeared, intrigued by the voices she had heard coming from outside, while smiling amusedly - _Good night_!

* * *

\- Hey, vampire, you look nervous - Anna said, as she was leaving the room where her sister Angela was resting to recover the energy spent to defend the shelter, although she wouldn't have really rested since her little sisters Lucy and Michaela were chatting a lot with her (the first especially about her crush on Kou).

Yuuma gave her a frowning look and grumbled:

\- It's none of your business, Goldilocks.

The witch slapped him on the head, making him stand up with a burst of rage.

\- _Calm down_ , _brown bear_! I'm just worried about you! You really look down! - she closed her mouth as soon as she realized what she had admitted, blushing violently.

The vampire's eyes widened before he grinned and placed his hands on the girl's hips, looking at her mischievously.

\- There's no need to beat about the bush tell me that you're interested in me, he – he chuckled, grabbing her chin between his fingers and lowering the other hand too much...

\- Le-LET ME GO YOU PERVERT! - Anna kicked him in a very delicate area and walked away, muttering insults and curses towards the vampire who had doubled over in pain, but laughed, since the redness on the girl's cheeks had got more accentuated.

\- Was it _really necessary_ to make all this racket? - he heard Ruki's voice coming from behind his back, as he got up and got back on the bench.

\- Come on Ruki, don't tell me you wouldn't do the same - the giant laughed, ignoring Kou's sarcastic comments as he sat down next to him along with Azusa.

His older brother shook his head, disapproving his behaviour, without denying it though.

\- Ruki... - Azusa called him with a sad expression, while the other two began to fight again, causing some reproach by a passing nurse to keep quiet; after all it was already late at night and many had already gone to bed, exhausted - _What will we do now_...?

Hearing him, the two immediately stopped bickering and were silent, bending their heads to the floor: the oldest had already told them about Karlheinz's death, their guardian and foster father; after a short shocked reaction, they had put aside the news until then, visiting who was hospitalized, chatting with the witches or joking with Mark, teasing Subaru (Kou, don't!), applauding Shuu for the scene in the hospital courtyard (Yuuma, you too!), kissing under the stairs with the girlfriend ( _Azusa_...?!); however, with those simple three words they had given in to bitterness.

\- I haven't always agreed with some of his "strokes of genius", but ... - Yuuma muttered, his hand on his face, his arm resting on his leg and the other arm dangling.

\- He had saved us... I didn't think he would die like that... we didn't even say farewell... or _thanked him_ enough... - Kou whispered in a choked voice, torturing his fingers and keeping his eyes on the ground, watery.

\- Ruki... now that he's gone... are we still a family...? - Azusa asked.

Ruki's eyes widened and he looked at him bewildered, surprised by his own reaction.

\- Of course we are! _We'll always be a family_! - he exclaimed, clenching his fists.

\- We no longer have a father, though... or a guardian...

\- Not that we need a guardian, Azusa - Yuuma said, although he wasn't very convinced - We are old enough to take care of ourselves... maybe we can stay here and work, so that we earn a living and settle in a decent way.

\- Always admitted that we can stay - Kou said, pessimist - We had come here at the Karlheinz's request, to temporarily shelter us because of that group of hunters.

Yuuma glared at him, blurting out that they were being too negative; yet he, like Ruki, felt very insecure: _how come they were feeling so lost with Karlheinz's death_? They had the bad feeling that they would have been abandoned, thrown away; although Azusa had bonded with Finn and Yuuma had found a distant relative (and his future lover, almost certainly), nefarious thoughts suggested they would have been alone, _again_ , in the world.

There was no one, only the four of them supporting each other; that feeling reminded them too much of their past in the orphanage, where everyone had been against them.

\- Hey, hey, what's going on here? Lower your voice - a low, deep voice interrupted their conversation; they turned to Mr Flyer who was approaching them, tired and shuffling.

At least he had combed his hair in an enough tidy tail, probably as requested by his wife in order to have an acceptable appearance at the hospital.

\- Mr Flyer - Ruki greeted him with a respectful nod and summed up – We're planning what to do, now that Karlheinz-sama, our foster father and guardian, has passed away.

\- Well - the man just said, shrugging – _You're going to live with us_ , right?

The four brothers stared at him in silence for a few seconds, then took on confused expressions: Kou gasped, unable to reply, Azusa had tilted his head questioningly, Yuuma squinted his eyes trying to figure out if he really meant what he had just said, Ruki felt overwhelmed by questions and doubts.

\- _Come again_? - the oldest widened his eyes, shaking his head - But we're strangers, last time we were just guests, now we're talking about a longer period, we can't...

\- Ruki-kun, when you talk too much you tend to be too hasty and unreasonable - the Glass Lady's amused and crystalline voice reached their ears like a heartening sound; the woman appeared beside her husband, taking him arm in arm and stroking his hand, while examining the vampires' faces with her sweet aquamarine eyes, her smile back.

Mr Flyer grumbled something in a low voice and explained, looking at Yuuma.

\- This young man is my relative; so legally he can live with us. Now, aren't you all of you registered as brothers? Yes? Then you automatically become - he rested his eyes on Ruki, Kou and Azusa - our relatives too. End of the story; _welcome to the Flyer family_.

\- I will register as your new guardian, just to be sure - Eva smiled, and then reach out to them - Let's go home, my dears?

The Mukami brothers were silent: for a moment Ruki recalled his mother who had left him alone and betrayed him with her escape, Azusa the one he had never met, Kou the one who had abandoned him for some reason he would have never discovered, Yuuma the one his memory had erased perhaps forever; they watched that soft white hand raised in their direction, motherly.

 _Just for them_.

They exchanged understanding glances and smiled, who holding an unusual emotion, like Kou and Yuuma, who feeling an unexpected joy, like Ruki, and who tempted to ask if he could keep on cutting himself to make new "friends", like Azusa, obviously.

* * *

Mary opened her eyes in the dark room shared with her twin; only the faint light coming from the corridor through the small window of the door illuminated her sleeping brother and the furniture's features, but she wouldn't have needed it to realize that there was no Shuu next to her, remembering that he had fallen asleep _shamelessly_ while hugging her.

She stood up, avoiding wearing slippers to reduce the possibility of making too much noise, and tiptoed out of the room, cursing the squeaks caused by the door when she had opened it, although having made it slide as gently as possible; she wore pretty thick socks, but she felt the icy floor cause her feet to protest, but she ignored them.

She scoured the nearest hallways, looking into those few empty rooms or left open, without disturbing those who were resting inside; she doubted Shuu would have gone to sleep in other rooms, but you could have expected anything from a vampire like him.

She went downstairs to the lobby, asked some night-time nurses if they had seen the vampire wandering around the building; it almost seemed as though he had vanished into thin air; sighing, she sat on a bench puffing her cheeks up and looked at the wall clock, noting that it was almost midnight and that she had slept only a couple of hours.

\- _Izana_ -...

Mary jumped on the spot, shivering at hearing those only three syllables, but she immediately rejoiced to hear Kou's voice reproach her brother, after covering his mouth, and telling him that name was a taboo.

\- Our dear friend is now called Mary~ But I'll keep on calling her Neko-chan, _ehehe_ ~ - the blond reached her hopping to sit next to her, with his arm around her shoulders.

\- Koucchi, I've always _been_ called Mary - the half-witch laughed, giving him a slight elbow at his side.

\- Details, chubby, _details_ \- Yuuma laughed, ruffling her hair, standing as Azusa sat next to her on the other side.

Ruki stood a little apart, watching them chat and laugh, serene; Mary was very happy to hear that the family member would have increased: she was very fond of the Mukami brothers, so knowing that they would have lived in her parents' house really pleased her.

They discussed how they could have defined themselves in familiar terms: she was Yuuma's grand-and-something niece, but it sounded too strange; as she reasoned with Kou that they could have been simply considered as siblings; Ruki called them back, warning them that it was time to return to the new house, having promised the Glass Lady they would have been back by midnight, the time to check once more the giant's arm, injured by a demon.

\- Hey, chubby, go back to bed, it's late - he kissed her on the forehead, catching her by surprise, and chuckled while exiting the hospital.

Azusa followed him, after giving her a timid kiss on the cheek as a goodnight wish and not before telling her he had seen Shuu on the hospital terrace and that he was probably still there; Kou also didn't miss to express his affection, kissing her eyes and declaring that at home he would have gone and snooped around her room.

\- If it's to read a few books, that's fine - Mary laughed, rubbing her eyes and pretending to be disgusted by that gesture.

\- Eeeeh, you're so cruel, you didn't do that with Yuuma-kun and Azusa-kun! Anyway, I don't think so, I hate reading – he replied, rising from the bench, putting on an airs; before leaving he stopped - ... _maybe_.

Only she and Ruki remained in the entrance hall: the night-time nurses had gone for an inspection tour; Mary stood up and approached the vampire, rubbing her arm and keeping her head down.

\- You'll never be able to feel comfortable with me again, will you? – he said in a rather cold tone, making her shiver and grimace sadly; yet, when she raised her face to him, she met a pair of eyes full of love and she felt her heart twitch

\- _Ki-kun_... - she murmured in a strangled voice and gasped at his sudden embrace.

\- Don't worry. _I will always love you_. I will always protect you. Just... _from a distance_. I respect your feelings, _albeit reluctantly_ \- Ruki said, hearing his voice crack at his last words.

Mary was silent, unable to answer, and called herself a coward, because she was indeed.

Ruki tightened his grip briefly, before kissing her ear with a quick gesture, so as to get her the usual annoying acute smacking sound.

\- _AH_! Ki-kun! _What the heck_! - the half-witch walked away abruptly, rubbing her ear with her hand, her face very red; she saw Ruki cover his mouth with his hand, refraining from bursting into laughter, despite his shaking shoulders betraying him, and he turned his back, moving towards the door.

\- Goodnight, Mary.

The girl stared at him disappearing into the dark outside, gloomy, and then jumped and let out a frightened cry as she felt something blowing in her ear.

\- _Fufu_ ~ - the vampire put a heavy jacket over her shoulders.

\- _Laito_! You too! - she said in a low voice, irritated and then smiling.

The two exchanged a hug.

\- My dear lovely cousin~ I want to be sure that our children will make friends, okay~? If my boy was to marry with one of your girls it would be wonderful, yes~ - Laito considered laughing with an arm around her shoulders, as they walked towards the terrace as suggested by her, to reach Shuu.

\- Come on, Laito, are you already thinking about this?! - Mary chuckled, giving him a little pat on the back.

\- _Mh_ , _hm_ \- the emerald-eyed vampire shook his head - I assure you that I can already foresee how many children we will have, all of us mean, how many females, how many males, and who will marry with whom~. And now... here you are, my dear Micchan!

Laito gave her a gallant bow, holding her by the hand while with the other arm he opened the door that led her to the terrace, holding it out to invite her to go on; the girl looked at him in silence for a moment, with a tender smile on her lips.

\- _I love you_ , _Laito_ \- she said lightly, her eyes watery but bright.

He blinked, then cracked a smile that was a mix between his usual smirk and a sweeter, more sincere smile.

\- _Me too_ , _Micchan_ ~. And you should clarify what you mean by "love" towards me, since I think that Shuu has just gotten jealous - he nodded to the outside and Mary followed the gesture with her eyes, finding in the distance the blond who was staring at them.

They exchanged a look and laughed, parting: Laito closed the door and trotted down, daydreaming other details of their future life; listening carefully to the very slight sound of her feet sinking in the snow (and screaming for the cold and cursing the owner for not wearing slippers at least), Mary stepped calmly towards her husband who didn't take his eyes off her.

\- _You stink of Mukami and Laito_ \- the blond said, annoyed, as he sniffed her hair, face, ears (he almost tried to _bite_ them) and shoulders, tickling her.

\- Stop it, Shuu! - she hugged him, resting her head against his shoulder and rocking on the spot - In nine months you'll be a father. You'll have to get used to sleeping less - she laughed, seeing his face take on a fake desperate grimace.

The couple looked up at the clear and starry sky; they had a déjà vu: the vampire asked in a whisper if she remembered that night when she had confessed his feelings and, receiving confirmation, he added that he hadn't replied back yet.

\- Is it all right to call him _Edgar_ , if it's a boy?

\- Shuu, don't change the subject - the half-witch laughed, giving him a small punch in the stomach - Anyway, yes, I'm fine with it. And if it's a girl... Daffodil?

\- _That's ugly_.

\- What?!

Shuu caught her by kissing her.

\- _I love you too_ , little wren.

Mary sighed contentedly and pinched the vampire's nose, who grumbled making her smile, while clutching her from behind, caressing her belly and returning to watch the night sky along with her; they soon began discussing about newborns and names, her refraining from telling him about Laito's ideas which would have sickened him, him protesting that he didn't want to give up his sleep too much.

And Heaven blessed the couple and those around them.

* * *

 ** _I hope you en_** ** _joyed this chapter and thank you for reading!_**

 ** _There's still a chapter left and it'll be the end!_**

 ** _Please follow it if you like this story and let me know what do you think about it with a review!_**

 ** _See you next time_**


	47. Last Chapter

_Chapter ∞_

Ryan was carefully gazing at Hope, busy with cleaning the white violin as she would do every afternoon at five o'clock, when her father was still dozing comfortably laid on the sofa in the living room and the twin was probably taking a nap somewhere (actually, she was also feeling like laying down to sleep...), while her mother was still at work and her two younger siblings were spending one last hour at the library before coming back home.

Turning around in his hands some candies he would often carry with him, the demon smiled at seeing her open her mouth in a grimace, as she let out a rude cuss at noticing more dirt than expected on the surface of her beloved instrument; probably, one of the younger twins had done something, albeit involuntarily: not rarely her little sister Faith would trip over her feet, dropping carrot juice or chocolate cake.

At last the vampire moved her blue eyes on the young man facing the window and puffed her cheeks out at his amused expression; she had sensed, or rather heard, his arrival a few meters before reaching her house, and she was used to this: also at five o'clock Ryan would finish his afternoon tours of deliveries and, coincidentally, Hope's house was always the last one.

She motioned for him to enter through the window, which she had grown accustomed to leaving open just to allow him in, although she always seemed so annoyed by him; the demon nodded his head and opened it, climbing over the wall, and closed it, without ever taking his gaze from her whom he delivered a couple of his candies as soon as he sat at the table one of the free chairs, in front of her.

\- Good evening, Hop-chan, _mhh_ ~!

She snorted, letting out a light grunt, after examining the candies with a happy glint in her eyes and having unwrapped one to taste it.

\- _Hope_ , Ryan, _HOPE_. What are the news today? Provided that they're interesting and not the _usual_ _gossip_ – she grumbled, returning to carefully clean her violin.

\- _Mhh_ ~ - he chuckled, leaning his elbows on the table and his chin on his intertwined fingers, cracking a mischievous grin which everyone in the city knew and many feared (though no more than his sister Nanami's one, huger disseminator of information) - Last night, while I was going home, I saw my sister on the doorstep... and _guess who she was talking to_ ~? I'll give you a clue: we don't really like each other, no, _we don't at all_.

\- _Kaoru-kun_? - Hope made a bizarre movement of the head and brushed back her not too short dark blond hair, puzzled - But haven't they gone back to the castle yesterday?

\- Apparently Uncle Reiji told them to stay a few more days with Martha-san and Theo-san, because of some unexpected event, if I understood correctly, _mhh_ ~ - Ryan explained, twisting a lock of his brown-reddish hair around his forefinger, and gazed at her with his amused purple eyes - _But this isn't the most intriguing detail_!

The vampire snorted, shaking her head, and grumbled that Nanami and Kaoru's relationship wasn't little known, as she placed the violin in its case with extreme delicacy.

\- Hop-chan, you didn't what I saw! They were _kissing_ ~, _mhh_ ~ - the young man chuckled, his cheeks slightly red - Or rather, my dear little sister kissed him and he remained motionless, also mumbled something, but you should have seen _how red he had become_! - his talking's speed increased, as if someone had set it to the maximum – It'd be really great to see Uncle Reiji's face at knowing that his son is interested in the daughter of one of his "least loved" brothers... wait, _Hope_?!

\- _Huh_?! - the girl opened her eyes suddenly and raised her head abruptly, letting out a painful moan at her neck's abrupt movement and sadly thinking that she had swallowed the candy.

Ryan puffed his cheeks out and pouted, grumbling that she had fallen asleep at the most exciting part of his story and she shrugged in response, repeating that she wasn't that interested and considering that she needed to get a little sleep on the couch behind her, placed there for possible drowsiness.

\- Am I allowed to join your nap? - the demon spread his lips in a wide grin, resting his hands on his cheeks and staring at her intensely, tranquil, as if not concealing a shred of malice behind his words.

Hope gave him an annoyed look.

\- _Seriously_?

But her rosy cheeks betrayed her.

* * *

\- _Hikari_! Have you seen my spare glasses?

The vampire was comfortably and at the same time elegantly seating in an armchair, absorbed in reading the third voluminous book of the day; without looking up from the page, she murmured a "on the bookshelf" with a dull voice.

Kaoru sighed and approached the said furniture, finding his glasses' case on the middle shelf and asking his younger sister why it was there: while grabbing it in his hands, he immediately noticed it was empty and his freckled face frowned even more confused and irritated, putting his hands in his dark hair in an instinctive angry gesture.

\- _Hikari_?!

\- Ah, forgive me, Onii-sama: _I'm wearing them myself_...! I had almost forgotten it; you know, we have the same model of glasses and the same myopia - the girl cracked an evil smile, turning her red eyes towards his brother, who was breathing deeply to keep calm.

After all, the Vampire King's son couldn't afford such behaviour! A prince must be patient, calm, polite, meditative and...

\- _Onii-sama_ , would you buy me some tea packs?

… _generous_?!

\- Why should I, with all the errands I have...!

\- Because otherwise Otou-sama will know about your relationship with our cousin Nanami.

Kaoru did know about his sister's schemer and evil side; but he widened his eyes at finding out she knew about _that_ and stuttered, out of embarrassment, resentment and indecision for that _tragic_ situation.

Their father had been clear: there were no problems in getting along with the children of his brothers and the Mukamis'... but romantic relationships were forbidden!

The vampire rubbed his nose bridge, taking off his cracked glasses, probably another of his sister's evil plans - perhaps to make him pay the wrong of a few days before, when he had mistakenly kicked her foot and soiled her white boots? He had often wondered whom she had taken after her ruthless and manipulative personality, one of the few different traits between them, similar especially physically, despite the two years age gap.

Sighing exasperated, he took his wallet and left, ignoring his sister's smirk and regretting the chemistry books he had wanted to consult for a couple of his experiments with his father, once he had returned to the castle.

Had he known that his sister was _getting along very well with someone_...!

* * *

Morten hadn't given up covering his short blond hair with his dark green beret, a gift from his father, even at the first days of September; he quickly tapped his fingers on the keyboard, fixing the damage that the Mukami twins had caused to all the computers in the high school's computer room, a "welcome back to school" which he had been involved in precisely to prevent such outcomes: instead, Edward hadn't performed correctly his instructions and had crashed the computers. He and his brother Lucks had been punished with the entire school building's general cleaning during the afternoon, already accessible for afternoon club activities and laboratories, while Morten had been only tasked with fixing the problem they had caused; the teachers knew this trio very well and that the twins would almost always drag him against his will in their pranks.

\- _Pssst_ \- the wizard suddenly heard, as he restarted the twentieth computer repaired after re-installing the basic software, and jumped on the chair, banging his knees against the desk and stifling a moan of pain.

The following laughter made him stiffen and roll his eyes, exasperated: it was Edward, and his grey eyes shining as if to say "I have a new plan" didn't imply anything good.

\- Morty~ Guess what I have in mind~! – the young man with short brownish-blond hair tied in ponytail laughed, his canine a little more obvious than the other, pressed against the lower lip.

\- G-Goodness... E-Eddy... Y-You're already c-cleaning the whole s-school, do you want t-to take care of n-nursery, too...? – his friend, classmate and maternal cousin stammered, as always, rubbing his knuckles in a nervous gesture.

Edward snorted disgustedly.

\- Nah, Lucks is already takin' care of it, with his soft spot for the little brats... and I don't wanna _ever_ change diapers, bathrooms are already crap... – he complained, sniffing his clothes already impregnated with the stench of the male toilets; he wondered if Lucks had even seen the apocalypse in the female ones, but he shook his thought away to bring his attention back to the Morten's brown eyes with green spots, worried and already anxious about the possible consequences of his new plan.

\- Come on, my friend, don't make that face! It's a very trivial and innocent thing!

\- Y-Yes... I-Innocent like th-that time when you ha-had put needles in K-Kaoru-san's s-shoes... - the wizard commented taking off his glasses and cleaning the lenses with his sweatshirt's edge.

\- Aaaah, do you remember that?! Ahaha, what a wonderful experience! _His face_ …! Moreover in front of Ryan's sister... Anyway, I just wanna mess up the library! Like moving some books in the wrong section, or changing the order... stuff like that!

Morten stared at him gravely and not at all convinced, thus Edward pouted and asked what the problem was: it didn't look such an evil and dangerous action!

\- E-Eddy... Hi-Hikari-chan... you will be ve-very angry...

The other bent an eyebrow and took a few seconds to reflect on what he had told him: _why would that four eyes have been pissed off?_ Oh, right, _that four-eyed mad scientist_ 's sister of loved to read, she loved the whole island's libraries and in the same way she nourished this affection towards the school one; nevertheless it shouldn't have been a problem: the two-eyed siblings rarely attended their same school, just when coming to the island to visit Aunt Martha and her cousins, as they lived at their father's castle.

\- _Who cares_! – he snapped, grabbing him by the shoulders and dragging him on his shoulder, laughing and ignoring the protests stammered by the poor cousin.

Meanwhile, downstairs where the school library was located and which they were heading to, the aforementioned vampire had heard their voices; she put the book back in its place on the shelf of Physics, frowning in annoyance, and walked to the door, stopping in front of it with arms crossed, legs tight and head up, severe and intimidating.

Or at least she intended to appear so at the sight of the other vampire who opened the door, cheerful and then rolling his eyes at the sight of Hikari.

Morten raised his face a little, noticing her presence.

\- H-Hello Hikari-ch-chan... - he greeted her, shaking his hand in a bad way, no longer feeling the blood flowing in his veins as he was clinging to his friend's collar for dear life.

\- _Mukami Edward_! You better free Flyer Morten, first, and then return to your cleaning jobs, if you don't want to incur worse consequences! - the girl declared with firm tone.

The young man blinked a bit taken aback, then burst out laughing and smirking.

\- Well, _little bookworm_ : what would these worst consequences be? I'm not doing anything wrong, by the way! - he retorted, putting down poor Morten who staggered into the room, looking for a chair to sit down and appease the slight dizziness that had come to him.

Hikari blushed with irritation, also embarrassed at that nickname which only Edward would use for her.

\- Not _yet_ , to be precise! Would you really like to cause some trouble?! With _your mother_ knowing about it?!

 _Bingo_! Edward, at his mother being mentioned, paled slightly, imagining her with her stone look glowing like divine wrath: he had actually suffered the same vision and the related lecture when they had tilted the school computers (let's not talk about when she had almost hit them for putting needles - the second time he had used them to "experiment" - on the chair of thir old math teacher... _ouch_!); perhaps it wouldn't have been the case to see her again in that state, if not even worse...

... but if he had given up it would have been like letting that little bookworm win!

\- _Blah blah blah_! - He stuck his tongue out, pinching her nose and entering the library to get close to any shelf and start his diabolical plan.

The female vampire felt a nerve throbbing painfully on the forehead and turned around, grabbing his arm between hers and holding him, while scolding him; yet his strength was greater than hers, so that rather than block him she felt herself being dragged along with him, as he chuckled at seeing her become red with the effort: _she was cute_.

\- What's happening here, goodness!

Kaoru's voice caught them by surprise, making them jump (Morten nearly fell off the chair); Hikari was about to give a look of help to his brother, ready to tell him everything, but the sight of Nanami Sakamaki behind him, and especially after linking the red of _her_ lipstick to the red glimpsed on the base of _his_ neck, not well covered by the collar of the shirt _unusually_ unbuttoned, was the coup de grace.

\- You...! You were...! - the girl had reached the peak of redness on her face and suddenly fell silent, formulating evil plans of revenge against both her brother and his girlfriend.

 _Wait for our father to find out about it, Onii-sama ...!_ , she thought, before realizing that Edward had wrapped an arm around her shoulders and approached his face to her ear to whisper, grinning mischievously.

\- Come on, don't do this: I know we're gonna do the same, in a few years, under the stairs nearby... - he said, ending the sentence with a kiss on her cheek, then wisely disappeared, avoiding Kaoru's fury who had reached his little sister to wipe her face, "disinfecting" her.

Nanami shook her head and rolled her eyes, looking amused at the two cousins who were bickering and Morten staring at them bored, holding his head in his hands and his elbows resting on his legs; Hikari hurried out of the library to find that _rude_ vampire who would have paid for that _rude_ gesture: Nanami mocked her a little, stifling laughter at hearing her angry and indignant replies, and watched her walk away along the hallway .

\- Was it really necessary to bother her, Nanami-san? - Kaoru sighed, approaching her.

The vampire smiled innocently and brushed her hair back, turning around.

\- _Ohoho_ ~, come on, Kaoru-kun~ I just want to play it down, she's so touchy! – she chirped, wrapping her arms around his neck after raising herself on tiptoe.

\- I-I think I'll g-go back u-upstairs... - Morten escaped from the room quickly, aware that that atmosphere was a clear invitation to leave them alone.

Kaoru closed her eyes and took a deep, patient breath.

\- Nanami-san, I should go home. I promised to help my aunt in some matters.

The young woman tilted her head and wrinkled her lips, sulking, mumbling that it was still too early and that they had spent very little time together, adding the Latin phrase " _nec sine te nec tecum vivere possum_ " to show off her only skill, besides her passion for history; the other vampire, putting a hand through his hair and rubbing his scalp, corrected that most of the two hours spent together had been used entirely to exchange overly passionate expressions of affection.

\- Exaggerated~ Those were just pecks! - she complained jumpingon the spot, falsely capricious.

\- In my dictionary those "pecks" do not correspond to a long session of French kisses or, as your brother says, to " _make out_ ".

The vampire puffed her cheeks out and stared at him insistently, tickling the back of his neck with long nails painted with green just like her eyes; at last he surrendered, but just to share a last kiss for the day: he could have done more in the next days, before returning to the castle.

Kaoru looked at her face for a few seconds, her close eyelids painted with a light red eyeshadow that recalled her hair, in which he put his fingers while bending down, approaching her lips with his and closing his eyes too.

* * *

Melissa jumped happily between the shelves of the supermarket, happy that Uncle Kou had accompanied her, taking advantage of his commitment to record a couple of his new CD's songs which would have been released soon.

Unaware of some elderly lady or young boy's glances at her, intrigued or disturbed by the scars on her face, the tiny witch bobbed her head to look at the goods on display, from books to fruit, from cereal packets (perhaps Justin's breakfast ones were nearly finished...?) to the _beautiful_ set of kitchen knives... she could already feel their blade on her skin, cold and fine, and see the _bright red_ blood dripping! Immersed in her fantasies, she straightened her ears at hearing familiar voices from the electronics department.

Quickly and equally silently she went to that area, fixing the wavy dark haired tied with a blue bow in a tail and making sure that the bangs were pretty (not "neat": she was fond of her dishevelled hair she had inherited from her father); from behind a shelf she peeked with her lavender eyes - also inherited from her father! She was so happy she looked so much like him – as they shone at the sight of that head covered with a dark green beret and the few locks of hair escaping it, rebellious.

\- E-Ed, I think i-it's not the c-case to buy t-these earbuds... - she heard Morten's _beautiful_ voice muttering to the other person, who was none other than his cousin Edgar, his eyes always bored and half-closed with drowsiness.

The latter ruffled his dark blond hair, annoyed, mumbling in a hoarse voice that they had been there for half an hour just for a pair of decent headphones or earbuds.

\- Y-You keep on changing them e-every month...! And y-you always b-buy poor qu-quality ones... H-Here, these headphones sh-should be fine...! - Morten exclaimed, grabbing the package of a pair of the aforementioned, black with silver edges.

Edgar tilted his head, unconvinced.

\- Won't they be too uncomfortable, Mort...? And it's not me the one breaking them, it's Ran's fault, he doesn't pay attention when I lend them to him! – he complained, turning in search of any comfortable place to take a nap; his blue eyes fell on the thin strands of hair protruding from behind a shelf, recognizing them instantly.

\- Mort, _your sweetheart is here_ \- he mumbled, knowing that probably his date with sleep would have been postponed until later.

His cousin turned slowly with a twitching eye and he saw Melissa leap from her hiding spot and reach him trotting; the redness on his cheeks stood out even more in contrast with the green of the beret on his head.

\- M-M-Me-Me-Melis-ssa...?! – he muttered, already hyperventilating.

\- Morten-senpai...! - the witch spread her arms and closed them around the wizard, holding him affectionately and rubbing her head against his chest, pleased by that contact; the other vampire raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes.

\- Ok; I'll take these headphones... bye Mort, see you tomorrow! - he said, leaving him with the young girl as he headed to the cashier to proceed with the purchase.

The boy with glasses jumped on the spot and repeatedly moved his head from Melissa to Edgar, feeling betrayed by his paternal cousin: what if the girl had started asking him to try to cut her, who would have helped him get out of that situation?!

Maybe he'd better start caressing her head: yes, that was the best way to distract her from any thoughts... and her satisfied smile was adorable, thus Morten would have been pleased too.

* * *

Among the many things she hated, even more than those times when her father didn't have time for her because of his idol work, Hana _hated_ playing games against her friend and classmate Christa: there had never been one time she had won against the albino, _never_. Also, there was Maria's constant chatter as background music, concerning as usual the soporific history lessons that would have caused the Sakamaki twins (the older ones) to fall into an eternal coma, besides the ticking tip of the cutter which Melissa was turning between her fingers, carving thae pencil with little doodles and giggling happily, since it was a present by her Morten-senpai.

\- I can't take it anymore - she huffed in shock at another lost race, while the other raised her arms upward in a gesture of victory.

\- Sooner or later you'll make it, Hana-chan! - Christa encouraged her, stretching her limbs and back and looking at her with her scarlet eyes from behind the white fringe - You'll see that by struggling it you will be able to reach your goals!

\- Not always totally, though - Maria added with a vein of acidity in her voice, turning a faintly sweet look at the blonde who in response gave her a glaring look with her blue-grey irises.

Christa jumped up and took the cutter out of Melissa's hands just in time, before she could cut her fingertips and pour a few drops onto the clean, light blue bedcover, gently scolding her to be careful with her activities in appropriate places - keeping in mind that she could have even done without it.

Melissa puffed her cheeks out.

\- No. _I want to make as many friends as dad did_ ~! – she smiled looking at some scars on her arm, thinking with so much affection about her father. The vampire gave the witch an understanding and tender look, then sighed amused and boredom at hearing the other two friends bickering with each other.

Hana was crossing her arms and curling her lips in a sulky grimace, replying to Marias' considerations as she kept her hands on her hips, her green eyes firm on the other's and her reddish-blond hair seemed to swell every times she was about to lose her temper and raise her voice, moments when she was flashing her vampire fangs.

Christa put herself in the middle to try and reconcile them, though she was used to it and it was impossible to make them agree on everything: since they had been born, the two girls had shown a tendency to taunt each other; Aunt Yui and Mrs Lucy had repeatedly told the famous story of when Hana had pulled Maria's hair, the latter had thrown on her little blue dress the milk of the last meal and both, finally, had slapped each other faces screaming unintelligible verses... and how Uncle Ayato and Mr Kou had cheered on their own daughter.

Maria suddenly let out a terrified cry as she felt something crawling through her hair, as the witch watched with a smirk the roots she had grown on her head, fiddling with a lock of her blond curls; Christa arranged to help the other vampire, trying in every way not to tear her hair, as the latter threw some angry glances at the blonde, soon harassed by Melissa who asked her to do the same thing with her: she thought that the roots would have grown directly on her scalp, causing pain, when in reality Hana had just launched some seeds, masking the movement of the arms as a gesture of irritation.

\- Hana! You'll pay for it! - the green-eyed vampire complained, as she moaned in pain at the umpteenth hair torn with the few remaining roots that Christa was taking away as gently as possible.

\- I've already paid enough with the your trick in June! - she replied sticking out her tongue, referring to the very fine pebbles she had found in her sneakers while she was changing for her physical education class.

\- As always, such _great friends_! - the albino commented sarcastically, giggling as Maria pinched her ears, whose irritated grimace had already changed into an amused smile.

Soon even Hana smiled, stroking Melissa's head and denying her another request to hurt her with her powers.

* * *

\- Nick... we ran out of dried apples... - Justin sobbed, wiping his lavender eyes and blowing his nose into the tissue, throwing it along with all the others piled on the floor; of course he would have cleaned later, like the good polite boy he was.

\- Hold on - the other sniffed, the blue-green eyes watery on the screen – Hold on... Oh God, _he's dying_...!

His friend squeezed the blanket wrapping him and straightened his back, widening his eyes at the scene: after witnessing the tragic death of their fellow travellers, the protagonist had just slashed the enemy's chest, who had collapsed to the dying ground and had just asked her to take off his mask so that she could see his face before dying.

Nicholas put his hands in his brown hair, tense, and bit his lips, waiting for the plot twist: with all the films Justin had shown him, he had already realized that the enemy would have been an important character believed lost by the protagonist, who was bending down to discover his face, with gestures so slow that the two friends were dying from curiosity to see who was hiding under that disguise.

And the doorbell rang, making both of them jump; the demon snorted and stopped just in time the film with the remote control, giving a silent but meaningful look at his friend who replied with an equally eloquent look: why were unexpected events always occurring at the crucial moment?

They had never seen a full length film, without interruptions, though organizing themselves: chosen an afternoon, Nicholas would make sure to have his home free, or his father and the older twins would be sleeping deeply, preparing couch, blankets, drinks, snacks and especially _tissues_ for the movie; Justin would arrive with a movie rented at the library, or the USB key after downloading it thanks to Morten, and his favourite blanket and notebook to take notes about the film and review it on his blog.

Yet there was always something interrupting their hobby: during an action film, Nicholas' twin, Faith, had accidentally burned a little plant in the living room after getting a little too excited, waking up and alarming the poor father; Ryan had once arrived to give them a few letters and had remained left to chat while waiting for Hope to wake up from her afternoon nap ( _in vain_ ); there had been that blackout all over the island, _unintentionally_ caused by Edward and Lucks when they had tricked Mr Theo; again, it had happened that Ranmaru had been invited by Edgar at home to do their math homework had kept the stereo loud enough to make sure his friend stayed awake, just _metal_ music; at last, one day Melissa had joined them and had the brilliant idea of experimenting on her skin the kitchen knife, when she had gone there just to get her brother a glass of water.

\- Justiiin, you go, please... - Nicholas sighed at hearing the second ring.

His friend stood up, cracking a smile: the father's laziness had not spared even his friend, although not as much as with Edgar and Hope; Nicholas was just lazy and was rather awake, perhaps thanks to the extraordinary creativity that urged him to write stories, fomented by the multitude of novels he would devour in a single week and also by the events of the movies he would suggest to him.

Justin walked down the hallway to the front door and opened it, stunned to see who was impatiently trying to ring the doorbell for the third time: Christa's red eyes and Maria's green eyes reflected in his lavender ones and, slipping his fingers through his black hair, the wizard felt his cheeks burn at the sight of the latter.

\- Ma-Maria... Christa... Hello, what are you doing here...? - he asked timidly, trying to keep his gaze down, as he heard Nicholas's voice asking who was at the door, shouting from the living room.

\- _Niiick_ ~! - the enthusiastic albino called him, entering nonchalantly into the house and quickly darting towards the room where the demon had stiffened and then looked around desperately, looking for a hiding place.

Anyone, however, would have failed in trying to hide from Christa.

\- Niiick ~! - The enthusiastic albino called him, entering nonchalantly into the house and quickly darting towards the room where the demon had stiffened and then looked around desperately, looking for a hidden hiding place.

Anyone, however, would have failed in trying to hide his presence at Christa.

Justin and Maria were left alone and they exchanged looks, both embarrassed in the same way but expressing it differently: the wizard nibbled his lip, the vampire turned in her fingers the cross pendant given to her by her mother.

\- Did we interrupt your movie? – she broke the ice at some point.

Justin nodded his head.

\- Can I stay with you for the rest of the movie...? I promise to be quiet, I have knitting with me to keep me busy - she said, pulling out the plaited draft of an ochre wool scarf to confirm her words.

The boy smiled and nodded, adding that there was no problem; he let her in, they reached the other two in the living room, refraining from giggling at seeing Christa comfortably crouched on the couch against Nicholas, red as a tomato and extremely nervous, and sat on the carpet: Justin wrapped himself in the blanket and invited Maria to stay next to him.

The vampire accepted a bit hesitant: she would have to bear his bewitching scent of soap and above all resist the temptation to taste his blood; but she would have sacrificed anything just to spend some time with him.

On the contrary, Christa didn't mind biting Nicholas's wrist during the movie...

* * *

A dozen of children ran among the first sweeps of autumn leaves, along the path inside the forest crossed by the island river, shouting with their bright and cheerful voices; Lucks, who was walking quietly behind them, with his hands in his pockets and his eyes focused on each of them, smiled at the sight of their enthusiastic faces and soon clapped his hands to draw their attention and propose the activity he had planned for that day.

\- Well, kids, come here... Ida, you're very tall, you're hiding poor Joseph - the vampire chuckled messing one of the girls' hair and inviting her to move further - Okay! Here is today's task: gather all the leaves that seem different from each other and then let's meet here to try and recognize together which plant they belong to! How about it?

Almost everyone screeched positively, looking forward to it; those few who pouted were only small lazy kids who wanted the main event to occur as soon as possible: Lucks would sit on a big boulder and they would sit around him on the ground, on their jackets, to listen to his speech about trees, their leaves, their flowers, their fragrant wood, which had started working since long before, creating magnificent works of craftsmanship... he would always bring some little, but still precious, samples to give to each of them.

And then he would take them in turns on his shoulders, running along the path and towards the fields that, in spring, would be painted with colourful flowers among daisies, daffodils, violets and tulips.

The vampire looked at them with a tender smile as they started searching for leaves and he moved aside, leaning against a tree trunk: his grey eyes moved from one child to another, observing their actions, their gazes, their talking, and above all their energetic strength; he adored them.

And he adored even more the sight of head with straight black hair, not that taller than the children, because of the small stature she had inherited from her mother, although she was still a little taller than her: Christina, on the way back from her daily walk through the woods, was walking along the path, not surprised to see the children dive into the piles of leaves, and looking for who had brought them with her green eyes behind her thick glasses.

As soon as their _meaningful_ gazes met, the vampire smiled and approached him.

\- Good afternoon, cousin Lucks – she greeted him with a calm and composed voice, her hands stuck in her sweatshirt's pockets, and she turned her attention to the children.

\- Tina, you're as punctual as ever and with your glasses on, that's good - he laughed, glancing at the wristwatch to confirm to confirm what he had stated and remembering how often she happened to drop her glasses - You didn't plan this short stop, did you?

The young woman shook her head, slightly widening her amused smile.

\- Don't talk nonsense, I always calculate a few minutes more than usual to go home.

\- Isn't it the same thing? - Lucks scratched his head, keeping himself from laughing.

\- I didn't think I would meet you... for example, I also saw Hana-chan, by the river.

\- Our cousin? Shouldn't she be with others to prepare for the beginning of classes? - the boy asked slightly confused.

Christina shrugged, not knowing what to answer, adding that the only information she could give him was about why she was there: she was growing a small flower bed; and when the other asked her again, perplexed, to what purpose, the vampire giggled, stroking a lock of her hair, which reached just below her ears.

\- She wants some flowers to make a crown and give it to Ranmaru-kun. You know, for that time when he chilled her makeup, unintentionally.

Lucks burst out laughing, imagining said boy's embarrassed and resentful face.

* * *

Ranmaru and Edgar would meet with each other more often than the other peers; not only because they were cousins on the paternal side, not only because their fathers, among all the brothers, were the ones "liking each other more": what most united them was their character. Both were taciturn and rather reserved, albeit for different reasons - the first out of shyness, the other out of laziness and disinterest in others – and they often understood each other even through non-verbal communication; they respected each other's personal space: if Edgar would suddenly fall asleep, a very frequent and normal event, Ranmaru would leave him alone, ordering his collection of broken objects (the father had always asked himself whom he had taken this bizarre and unusual habit from), and if Ranmaru would listen to metal music, Edgar wouldn't have minded joining him and renouncing to the classical one.

They were talking about music that afternoon, sitting on the wall overlooking the sea, near the graveyard; the blond yawned, nodding or dissenting with nods or monosyllables, as the other complained of prejudices against the metal genre, especially the so-called "symphonic metal", gesturing with fervour and at the same time glancing around, looking for anything that was broken or damaged: an old pencil, a shard of a precious phial, a rusty chain of a ruined piece of jewellery, a stuffed plush abandoned in the street.

Edgar began to realize after half an hour that something was going wrong as he heard the stuttering of his amber-eyed cousin with brown hair covering part of his face, like his albino father (the opposite part, though): turning to him, he noticed the redness on his cheeks and his eye twiching, deducing that his sister Faith was nearby; so he turned back, bored, and then changed his expression to a more nervous one.

Faith was walking along the wall keeping herself dangerously balanced, accompanied by her friend Aiko; Edgar's gaze lingered on the latter, staring at her long blond hair dancing on her back, and at her brown eyes with green spots, focused on the other girl and anxious she could fall at any moment.

Indeed Faith lost her balance, but fortunately on the side where the ground was ready to receive her landing; the steep hill didn't welcome her corpse and the other three let out a sigh of relief, wondering how a fifteen-year-old girl could be so reckless and unconscious.

 _As curious as our mother_..., Edgar thought, raising and waving his hand to greet the two girls who approached them, ruffling her little sister's dark hair as she clung to his torso, affectionate.

\- _Big Brother_! - she exclaimed, rubbing her head against his chest, happy.

Ranmaru looked at her, feeling a little jealous of his friend, then away after crossing Aiko's giggling gaze, who shifted her attention to Edgar, placing her hands on her hips.

\- You haven't given back my chemistry book, yet, lazybones! - she reproached him, making him snort in annoyance.

\- I still need it... we'll have a test on the first day... - he justified himself, muttering.

\- Actually, we would have a Literature test... – the other was about to reveal, finding his own mouth abruptly muffled by the blond's hand, nervous.

\- _Eeeeeed_ \- the blonde crossed her arms, narrowing her furious eyes on the vampire, who rolled his eyes to the sky, ready to hear the usual lecture - You shouldn't even need it, since you have already studied it _two years ago_!

\- I need a review... - Edgar replied grumbling, rubbing his neck and pulling away from his little sister who had remained embraced to him until that moment, chuckling at them.

The two began to argue, she animatedly and he chatty all of a sudden, as Ranmaru eyed them with an arched eyebrow murmuring that they would have never changed and that he wouldn't be amazed if they would get married in a few years; then his eyes fell on Faith, who was absorbed in who knows what kind of thoughts, her expression rather childish for her age.

\- Ran-kun, my dear cousin - she exclaimed suddenly, moving her deep dark eyes on him, almost causing him a fright - Do you think Ai-chan has no more a crush for Justin-kun?

The young man blinked and curled his lips.

\- I think so... I mean... after what happened...

They recalled the day when poor Aiko had talked too much about her affection for Justin and the latter had happened to reply too bluntly, involuntarily; thus, Maria had realized that she had never paid attention to the one had always given her most of his attention (Justin had often lent her notes for school, thanks to Melissa's advice, he had always given her flowers on women's day and on her birthday, only he would notice the slightest changes in her clothes or hair), having always sought for Kaoru's attention in vain, bitterly finding out that Nanami had already captured his heart.

Aiko had cried a lot, despite being known as one of the toughest girls of her age; after all, she also had feelings, and she had been hurt. For a long time they hadn't spoken to each other, Justin embarrassed and ashamed of his tactless reaction, her out of pain and rejection. In the end everything had been resolved with the gift he had made her, a couple of succulents seedlings that had been added to the small corner of her room that she had reserved for her gardening hobby.

\- Ugh, I wanted to hunt mushrooms in the woods... - Faith grumbled discontentedly, crossing her arms and trying to call her friend who kept on ignoring her, focused on lecturing Edgar - Ok, I'll go to the library to see Ruki-nii~!

\- Wha- Wait, _Faith_! - as soon as the voice of the witch pronounced _that name_ , Ranmaru jumped alarmed and tried to stop her in vain, because she had already left quickly towards the aforementioned place.

The vampire let out an angry grunt and, glaring at his friend and Aiko, ran after her; he hated _that man_ greatly: he was sure he had bewitched Faith since she had been a child, taking her away from him.

* * *

The vampire looked satisfied at the work just ended: all the books were back to their place and where they were missing he had put some compositions of coloured stones, or at least small objects aesthetically pleasing to fill the void, as Faith had suggested, the same creator of some of these craftworks she had given him.

He opened the agenda where he would record all his plans and reminders, barring the books' general reorganization; as expected, he had managed to finish it all in three days, included cleaning the shelves' interior, and the next day he would have cleaned the rest of the furniture and the entire building. He reasoned that he would need Yuuma and Azusa' help to finish by the evening of the next day, so that he could have welcomed the first year's primary school student with the library in perfect condition, with the lessons' beginning; then he would have asked Mary to replace him in the evening, for a couple of hours, the time to return to his home and take care of it too.

Maybe Kou was right: he spent so much time in the library that he could have also moved directly there and leave his apartment to the future young people.

He brushed his hair and placed his glasses, an exclusively aesthetic element of his librarian appearance, in their case, inside one of the drawers of his personal desk, closing it with a padlock.

His vampire senses felt the presence of the usual intruder who had attended the library and his company since childhood; he smiled, amused, and sighed, sitting on the chair and leafing through his inseparable book, closing it as soon as he perceived the witch reaching him from behind, impatient to be able to read its contents, one day.

\- Nooo, _I was almost there_! - the girl complained, jumping on the spot like an capricious child, and stared at him sulking with her big dark eyes.

\- Faith, shouldn't you be on your way home? - He said, crossing his arms and arching an eyebrow at that behaviour which wasn't proper at her age.

\- By the way, Ruki-nii, I see you've tidied up everything! – the shoulder length brown-haired girl exclaimed looking around; the hairpin used to keep her locks away from her eyes was as useless as usual, slipping towards her face because of her too straight hair.

Ruki sighed, this time as a reflex of his attempt to maintain patience.

\- Of course everything is in order. Soon the children will be new students, it is a must to welcome them with a clean, arranged and welcoming building – he smiled looking at some of the stickers that the same witch had attached on the work-benches' lamps, most of them portraying stylized animals or witty faces.

\- There's an hour left till dinner, I can still stay half a hour to keep you company, Ruki-nii! – she answered, giving him an innocent look.

The vampire brushed his hair and murmured if her father wouldn't get angry at knowing she was in the library again with " _that soy sauce hair guy_ "; the girl sat on one of the tables and rocked her legs, saying that she coudn't wait for the moment when the children would set foot in that building, introduced into the world of stories; Ruki considered that he could involve his nephews and nieces and he others, especially Lucks who knew how to behave with kids; Faith laughed, commenting that he dad had a strange way of giving people nicknames.

Yes, Faith was like this: very often her words would refer to what had been said before the last sentence by the interlocutor; the vampire had always thought that she was rather skilful at going on like that for a long time, as much as she was just adorable when getting angry at failing at it.

He thought it was one of the few traits that made her different from her mother, with whom she shared everything else, especially her curiosity and passion for creative hobbies, though she was devoted more to crafting than to writing, her twin's talent, and drawing, on which Mary had worked so much, becoming an illustrator of many books that the library itself owned.

\- Ruki-nii, are you thinking about my mother? - the girl suddenly asked, curling her lips.

\- Sorry, were you telling me something important? – he replied, ignoring Mary's mention, which caused Faith to puff her cheeks out, annoyed.

\- Ruki-nii, I'm sorry to repeat it every time... but mother is with dad. I don't mean you have to forget her, but... - for a moment she wanted to try and be a mature person, which she couldn't do at all with the childish voice she always used, except during the interrogations at school where she was _unrecognizable_.

\- I think we've already talked about this, Faith - Ruki said harshly, giving her an icy glare - _You would never understand me_. Now go home, your family is waiting for you.

\- How can I get back to my family when you don't have one waiting for you at home? - the witch murmured, looking sadly at him.

The vampire's eyes widened and he opened his mouth and then closed it: how could he reply? Kou had Lucy and his daughter, Azusa had Finn and three children, Yuuma had Anna and, also, three children; Ruki was alone, closing in a treasure chest his love for Mary without ever forgetting her, accompanied just by books and his brothers and the Sakamakis' offspring, between highs and lows: despite their flaws, or a bit of hatred towards him by some of them, he had never been so comfortable among young people, being them a quite brilliant generation.

And then there was Faith. He had always wondered what had pushed that child she had been, to the teenager she had become, to follow him everywhere and establish a friendly relationship with him; he had always tried to avoid behaviours that might have deluded her, given her young age, prone to passing and deceitful crushes. After all, his young "bachelor" appearance had attracted high school students during all those seventeen years, since he had decided to live on that island along with his brothers.

He sighed and brushed his hair in a nervous gesture.

\- Faith, go home.

\- _I understand you perfectly_! - the girl jumped on her feet, placing her hands on her hips and changing the tone of her voice, more appropriate to her age.

Ruki laughed bitterly, shaking his head.

\- You wouldn't even understand how I envy your father, Faith, you love him so much.

The witch shook her head, refusing to go out and walk home; impatient, Ruki was about to tell her to behave like a good girl and leave, only to stiffen at what his ears heard.

\- I do! _You envy my father as I envy my mother_ , Ruki-san. But I love her anyway, she's my mom!

The vampire sat down on the chair, staring at her, astonished; with a simple sentence she had revealed two things: that he had been completely wrong about her and underestimated her, and that Faith was infatuated with him. He put his fingers in his hair, breathing deeply and torn between a mature reply and a nervous reaction.

\- But don't worry, Ruki-nii! - Faith smiled radiantly, returning to her childish attitude - If you'll never be able to reciprocate my feelings, I'll just do the same as you had done with my mother! I, Faith Sakamaki, swear to _love you and protect you_ forever, even from _a distance_! - she stated solemnly, putting a hand on her forehead as if in a military salute.

Ruki had a déjà vu and laughed; Faith blinked at him in confusion, wondering if she had been too childish.

The vampire stood up and gave her an indecipherable but at the same time tender smile, then pinched her cheek and told her again that it was time to go home, ignoring the poor witch's grumbles of pain who was trying to escape that iron grip.

Meanwhile, two amber eyes remained staring at them for a few minutes, dejected.

* * *

Ranmaru left the library without leaving traces of his presence, as much as possible, and went down the steps leading to the entrance with slow and shuffling steps; he had always hoped that Faith's interest was only something fleeting. Certainly he was still young and his feelings could have changed... but he was pessimistic about it.

He recalled hearing Uncle Laito talk about some unrequited love of his father, one day he had been invited with Edgar by Ryan to his house; that time he had almost thought that his father had been weak and a little pathetic, but at that moment he felt terribly guilty: a lot of strength and courage was necessary to overcome that state of discomfort, of loss. You could have called it "a simple teen crush, it's nothing!" and perhaps in the future he would have thought the same, but he was really feeling down, despite he was trying to ignore the lump in the throat and the sudden nausea.

\- _Ran~ maru~ kun~_ \- he heard a female voice coming from his left.

\- Ah, _the ugly witch_ \- he muttered, gritting his teeth, rolling his eyes.

Hana puffed her cheeks out, offended, and jumped down the wall siding the stairs, where she had sat on while waiting for him, her hands behind her back; the vampire narrowed his eyes towards her arms, suspicious.

\- What's up there? - he asked immediately, expecting it to be some revenge against him for any wrong he had unknowingly made to her, as he often happened to be accused of.

The witch smiled mischievously and raised her head with superiority.

\- You'll only find out if you close your eyes!

\- _As if_ , _I won't fall for it_. See you - Ranmaru snorted, putting his hands in his denim jacket pockets and walking down the road to his house, wondering about dinner.

Hana stared at his back, turned away, upset, and ran after him and then jump on his shoulders, almost unbalancing him; the boy cursed heavily and shook her off, turning furiously to tell her off: he instinctively closed his eyes at seeing her raise her arms to his face, and then reopened them at her chuckling and moving her limbs away.

She was looking at him with a happy expression, red cheeks and bright eyes; unaware that even his face had assumed a slight pinkish shade, the vampire realized that he had something in his head and felt it with his fingers, recognizing a soft and fresh feeling to the touch, made of intertwines alternating with more complex and fragile shapes: he gently lifted the object of his head and frowned as he faced it, discovering it was a simple flower crown, with daisies, violets and other varieties, grown due to her magical powers.

The witch, afraid that he could have thrown it to the ground, took it in her hands to put it on his head, announcing that it looked good on him; the young man arched an eyebrow and shook his head, retracing his steps.

\- Flowers are girly - he grumbled; but he didn't take the flower crown off, a gesture that filled the girl with joy, as she followed him, clinging to his arm and tugging at him, and informed him that she had been invited with her parents to have dinner with them.

Ranmaru commented ironically that his father would've been _very_ happy; Hana chuckled.

* * *

And thus Subaru found Kou and his family at his home when he got back, stiffening on the entrance doorstep with a twitching eye at seeing the blond waving his hand happily in front of him, smiling and asking him _if he wasn't happy to see his best friend again_ ; Lucy and Isa were chatting in the kitchen, the first helping the second to prepare the table for dinner, ignoring their husbands' bickering in the living room (at least Subaru would have later consoled himself at knowing that his daughter was getting good results at her CrossFit classes); meanwhile, Hana was trying to beat Christa to a shooter game for the umpteenth time, in vain, both stared at by Ranmaru, annoyed that the two girls had seized his own bedroom to take advantage of his console, not before the boy had hidden the crown of flowers in a safe place.

* * *

Yui returned home from her exhausting nurse shift, both physically out of exhaustion and psychologically (she had seen two more elders die while holding their hands, keeping her promise of assistance until the end); the daughter welcomed her with open arms, telling her the news of the day and discarding the details on the _thorn bush_ she had planted in the neighbour's garden, a joke suggested by her father because he hadn't forgive the old lady for criticizing him about his _takoyaki_ 's love; Ayato, on the other hand, was busy looking for and buying online the first year textbooks recommended by the high school, which Maria would have started attending the following week, enthusiastic but also embittered that she wouldn't have been in the same class with all of her friends (unfortunately Melissa and Christa had ended up in different classes, and she waswith Hana... with whom she had a _sort of rivalry_...).

* * *

With a joyous smile on his lips, Azusa welcomed his three children back from a walk, kissing his two little girls on the forehead and ruffling the second son's hair; Finn squeezed them one by one, lingering longer on the younger one who appreciated the pain and the sound of _creaky bones_ ; Christina immediately sat in her favourite chair, with a book to read, Justin helped his mother in the kitchen, reflecting on how to review a film he had just seen that afternoon, and Melissa, who had been forbidden to set foot in the kitchen after the disasters caused in the futile attempt to prepare delicious food, kept her father company in the living room, crouching against him on the couch and letting her father caress her hair with heart-warming, calm and affectionate gestures.

* * *

Lily narrowed her eyes on her two children, secretly cracking a smile: her maternal sixth sense had perceived what they had done in the island during their short vacation with their cousins, before returning to the castle where they were having dinner with their father, respecting the rules of etiquette with care as Reiji had taught them; it wasn't difficult even for the Vampire King to notice a reddish spot on the back of Kaoru's neck, thinking that after the meal he would have exchanged a few words with the eldest, hoping very much that the smell of _his pervert brother_ 's offspring was just fruit of his imagination, and considering that Hikari was also emanating a different scent than usual, which reminded him of a certain _non-pureblood_ vampire... As usual, these thoughts did nothing but make his nerves throb.

* * *

Edward returned later than usual, having lost his perception of time while _training_ with Mr Flyer (whom he considered more like a grandfather than as the cousin of who-knows-which-degree-of-kinship he was); Anna was waiting for him at the door with crossed arms and furious, aware that he had once again tied the water pipes in the garden, giving more trouble to his father who was working with caution with the beginning of autumn and the cold days; the neighbours were accustomed to Yuuma's yells, as he was lecturing his rebellious son, scene witnessed by the twin Lucks, with a witty air like saying " _I told you so_ " (as if he himself hadn't been responsible for other catastrophes), and Aiko, her eyes narrowed to two cracks, annoyed by the irrecoverable behaviour of her older brother; his father slapped Edward in the head, threatening to withdraw him from the martial arts club.

* * *

Ryan and Nanami, even though they had themselves flirty attitudes, hated to come back home and see their parents _making out_ in the living room: they stopped on the spot staring at them with a bored look and letting out an irritated grunt instead of a "here we go again"; at least Claire jumped and broke away from her husband, apologizing but not very embarrassed, as Laito chuckled and winked at his son, as if to tell him to learn from him for when he would be alone with Hope (surprisingly, what he had expected and told his beloved cousin Mary seventeen years ago had really come true!); the daughter sat down between her parents and began to tell them about what she had discovered while hanging around town, the son went into the kitchen to prepare dinner, knowing that he would have had to learn in order to compensate his beloved girl's laziness and subsequent inability; his little sister would have been more lucky, since probably Uncle Reiji had taught his children to cook.

* * *

Morten relaxed, laying on the living room carpet and letting himself be lulled by the melody played on the piano by his father, after having put the glasses on the table and bent his beret like a pillow under his head; meanwhile Ellen was making a disaster with dinner and certainly would have soon called her older sister to to help her; Mark ran his fingers light as feathers on the keys, applying minimum pressure, but intense emotions through sound, at the same time communicating _telepathically_ with his beloved twin, smiling a rare and unspeakable affection, which only he and Mary could understand, and from time to time feeling sorry for his poor friend Theo and his wife Martha, _alone in their love without fruits_ because of a genetic defect; his son fell asleep shortly later and soon sweet dreams suggested by his father's poetry turned into nightmares where his cousins were involving him in evil plans that surely would have had a negative result, making him break in a cold sweat and contort in his sleep.

* * *

Ruki gazed at the moon already visible in the sky from the ceiling's central oculus, which let all the light of the sunset illuminate most of all the library's shelves and furniture; the light was enough for the vampire to see the words on the book that had belonged to his father, at the moment resting on his overlapped knee, absorbed in the contemplation of that white satellite and his thoughts. A short laugh escaped him, remembering what had happened with Faith, and, caressing the blue cover, he lifted the book to keep on reading, manipulating it in such a way that a thin object, like a filament of grass, escaped from the bottom pages; Ruki, confused, bent down to pick it up from the ground and widened his eyes at the sight of that dried and pressed lavender's little branch; he turned it thoughtfully between his fingers, and then smelled it: the aroma had been lost with time. He smiled and stood up, moving towards a bookcase where books about herbal medicine and plants were placed: he took one about flowers, opened it at a random page and put the lavender branch in it, then closed and placed it back in its place; he got back to his desk and at last to his book.

* * *

Faith stepped quietly towards her three victims, holding back from giggling at the sight of all them the couch, _blissfully asleep_ next to each other; Nicholas was looking at her, scratching his forehead, certain that their father and older siblings would sooner or later notice her presence; instead, as soon as the twin jumped into their laps successfully, they jumped and opened their eyes shocked by the _sudden_ impact, recognizing the cause of their awakening and reproaching her with displeased tone and eyes wishing their sleep had never been interrupted; Faith settled on her father's legs and wrapped her arms around his neck, cuddly, and Shuu softened a little, though remaining apparently indifferent; Hope checked the time on her cell phone, blushing at a pretty naughty text from a brown-reddish-haired demon, almost risking her father to read it; Edgar sniffed and threw his head back, instantly falling asleep again and dreaming long blond hair; they heard the entrance door open and close and the children stood up quickly, hurrying out of the living room.

Nicholas was the first to reach her and gave her a sweet smile; Faith, who ran as fast as a gazelle, went to meet her, embracing her with enthusiasm; Hope walked towards her and stopped nearby, waiting for her to approach her in order to get her jacket and bag and put them on the hook; Edgar slumped sleepily against the living room's door, unable to move after only a few steps, and greeted her with a sleepy voice:

\- Welcome back, _mother_.

Mary smiled as radiant as the sun as was greeted by her _stars_ , and then turned a look full of love to Shuu, who had appeared behind her to kiss her on the cheek.

\- _I'm home_.

* * *

\- _Rose_ -san, have you seen it? My nephews sent me another picture~.

Kanato giggled with a thin voice and put the photograph in a purple frame with white flowers, adding it with all the others on the ebony cupboard he had chosen to collect his nephews and nieces' gifts (his brothers' ones ou of courtesy - pressed by their wives – would be burned or kept, depending on whether they were sweets, fabrics or toys); he looked at the faces of the people portrayed on the steps of a stone staircase, with an expression that was _unusually_ sweet and at the same time undoubtedly _disturbing_ , sometimes frowning at the children of those _filthy non-pureblood vampires_.

Kaoru and Hikari were certainly the most serious and disciplined one of the group, but a closer look would have noticed that the she was pinching her brother on the side, probably to take revenge for some small wrong, and he was holding back from scolding her; Hope was the most inexpressive, on Hikari's other side, with whom she unexpectedly had more friendship than the others, perhaps because she was the least noisy one; Nanami was clinging to Kaoru's arm with hers, smiling at the photographer with a less mischievous face than usual, as Ryan was showing a little grin, his arms resting on Edgar's shoulders, his eyes narrowed in an annoyed expression, and Ranmaru's, clearly displeased by that contact; Christa was looking sideways at Nicholas, who was smiling shyly behind her little sister Faith, cheerful as always; Melissa was squeezing her brother and sister's hands, her smile serene and joyful, while Justin was somewhat embarrassed, since Maria, standing on a step higher than him, had put her hands on his shoulders, affectionately hugging them; Christina was smiling mildly, even if Lucks' fingers were touching hers, him also apparently quiet, his shoulders surrounded by his twin's arms; Edward had emphasized his wider and braggart sneer, stare at with a bent eyebrow by his sister Aiko, probably unaware that the photo had already been taken, arm in arm with Hana; finally, Morten was staring at the camera, stiff and with a crooked smile which the twins Lucks and Edward would have probably teased him about.

\- They're cute, aren't they, Rose-san, Teddy?

On the armchair in the middle of that room, filled with stuffed animals made by the same vampire, adorned with ribbons and lace on porcelain doll dresses, the girl's zombie didn't nod, neither with a monosyllable nor with her head, her glazed eyes empty; even Teddy, sitting next to her, seemed more expressive.

 _Since not everyone deserves the happy ending._

* * *

 ** _It's over...! I truly hope you en_** ** _joyed the whole story and the ending... though I admit some of the diaboys' "happy ending" is not really "realistically possible". But I wanted to grand them a happy endng, at least, to compensate their tragic past._**

 ** _Thank you for reading!_**

 ** _I still hope to receive reviews about it, now or in the future. ^^_**


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